


Devil Don't Go

by Snowlynx40



Series: Sky May Fall [2]
Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst with a Happy Ending, But not as bad as canon Michael, Deckerstar - Freeform, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Lucifer Is Back, Lucifer Redemption, Lucifer gets some support from his family finally, Michael is a dick, Post-Season/Series 04, Pretty sure there is some smut here, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, back from hell, everyone important knows, governing hell, happy-ish ending, not season 5 compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-27
Updated: 2020-09-20
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:46:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 31
Words: 127,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24931750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snowlynx40/pseuds/Snowlynx40
Summary: Set a couple days after the story "Sky May Fall", Lucifer needs to go check in on his new Duke of Hell to make sure he's behaving and finds that something new is happening to some damned souls that may attract some attention in Heaven. Chloe and Lucifer have some separation anxiety. Also, some puppy shenanigans. Explicit sections are marked in text. I have no beta, all mistakes are mine. Please let me know if you spot any and I will fix or defend them as necessary! Also, I'm not so good with tags, so suggestions are so very welcome.
Relationships: Chloe Decker & Lucifer Morningstar, Chloe Decker & Trixie Espinoza & Lucifer Morningstar, Chloe Decker/Lucifer Morningstar, Trixie Espinoza & Lucifer Morningstar
Series: Sky May Fall [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1874491
Comments: 418
Kudos: 294





	1. Chapter 1

"Lucifer," Chloe pants, sweat dripping into her eyes. "I can't- we have to-"

"Now Detective, none of that! We can't stop now, we're so close!" Lucifer's amused voice rumbles close behind her, and damn him but he doesn't even sound out of breath.

_Devil or not, that's not fair._

"How are you okay with this? This is the most undignified thing I've ever seen you do, and people are _staring_!"

Lucifer huffs a laugh at the indignation in her tone. "Of course they're watching, love. I'm sure it's not every day they get to watch LAPD's finest- not to mention yours truly- get outwitted by a yapping dust mop with four-inch legs!"

The dog park outing had been Trixie's idea. Before Chloe had been taken by Azazel, before Lucifer had returned to rescue her, before he had a hope of being able to return to his life here in Earth, Trixie had talked her mother into dog sitting for the neighbor's new Shih Tzu puppy while they were out of town for the weekend. Since Chloe was feeling guilty for neglecting her daughter while she battled her depression over losing Lucifer, and had the weekend off, she had reluctantly agreed. Trixie had been over the moon to temporarily have a puppy- but then Kimo had slipped under the dog park fence in a bid for freedom, and the chase was on.

"We can't just keep chasing him, Lucifer, he's probably terrified!" Chloe stops, bending at the waist with her hands on her knees, pulling in deep, rasping breaths.

"Terrified? Detective, he's having the time of his short-legged life!" Lucifer, who doesn't even have a well-groomed hair out of place despite tearing around the park on her heels for the past half-hour, makes a grand gesture toward the hairy terrorist. The puppy had stopped running when they did, and was looking back at them with fringed tail held high. He bounces backward at Lucifer's movement, butt in the air and front legs spread forward with a sharp yap. "I say we let him return to his wild roots and call it a day. Our reservations..."

Chloe rolls her eyes at her partner. "Lucifer, I'm responsible for his safety. I _gave my word."_ She knows that will resonate with her Devil's touchy code of morality, and sure enough...

"All right, Detective. We'll retrieve the mutinous mutt. I have an idea."

" _You_ have an idea on how to catch a puppy." 

"Of course. He desires a chase, so we'll give him one. Are you ready, Detective?"

"Lucifer, what are you-"

"Just... Stand there and be ready to snatch the hairy heathen, Detective, I'm about to do something undignified."

Chloe watches, wide-eyed, as her suave partner performs a long-legged bounce in the puppy's direction, then turns nimbly and takes off in the opposite direction. Kimo throws his head back in surprise, then practically peels out in the grass as his tiny legs rev into gear to launch after Lucifer. Chloe only just manages to entangle her fingers in the puppy's fur as he passes, and scoops him safe and squirming into her arms.

A smattering of applause and whistles erupts from the dog park fence line where the pet parents had amassed to watch the unfolding drama. Chloe slants a look at her pre-teen daughter, who doesn't even try to hide her giggles at Lucifer's melodramatic bow to the crowd. Chloe crosses the distance to her partner, grinning in triumph.

"How did you know that would work?"

"I told you Detective, he desired a chase!" Lucifer smirks at her and his voice slides into a purr. "What's a Devil good for, if not granting a little desire here and there?"

Chloe giggles and tiptoes up to give him a kiss, and just like always he freezes for a brief moment, as though he can't comprehend that this is actually happening. That soft brush of lips lasts until a catcall jolts them both back to Earth, and Chloe, face burning, dumps the wriggling puppy into his arms and ducks away laughing as he gingerly holds the pup an arm's length from his Armani.

"Gah- Offspring!!" He exclaims, "come get this overgrown dust bunny before it escapes again!"

Trixie is already beside him, relieving her friend of his furry burden, and his hands immediately move to straighten his cufflinks and brush any offending stray fur from his immaculate suit. Chloe shakes her head, still smiling, and marvels at the fact that no one even questions Lucifer wearing a bespoke suit to accompany them to the dog park. Even if he _did_ refuse to actually go inside.

Lucifer moves to stand next to Chloe, and she snakes her hand out to thread her fingers between his. 

"You play dirty, Detective, foisting that hairball off on me. Didn't know you had it in you." His eyes catch hers and crinkle at the corners. He leans in until she can feel his stubbled cheek, breath fanning against her ear. _"I like it."_

Her face heats, but she laughs with him and calls for her daughter, who has snapped the leash onto Kimo's collar and is letting him sniff all around. "C'mon Trix, we've got to get home if we're going to make it to dinner on time!"

Trixie bounces to the car with Kimo in hot pursuit, and Chloe and Lucifer follow more sedately, Chloe finally catching her breath after the extended chase scene. Trixie has been so excited about dinner reservations, this will be her first outing to a fancy restaurant, and she's changed her mind on her outfit at least a dozen times.

Trixie and Lucifer fill the ride home with chatter about the menu options at the restaurant, the wisdom or lack thereof of attempting to ride a unicorn ("Honestly Urchin, it's a truly dreadful idea to try to strap a saddle onto a creature that can stab you with its forehead."), and her recent experiences at school (thankfully not bully-related).

Once they reach the apartment, Chloe makes Kimo comfortable in his ridiculously large enclosure. _Honestly, this dog has more toys than Trixie!_ Lucifer announces that he needs to retreat to Lux to change his suit, as this one has been irretrievably contaminated with puppy cooties. Chloe laughingly agrees, knowing it will be much easier for she and Trixie to get ready for dinner if they're not distracted by their Devil. She gives him a lingering kiss on the stoop, and shoos him toward his Corvette after extracting a promise of a return in 2 hours. She closes the door and leans against it, legs still a bit wobbly both from the running, and the more recent kiss. She tries to ignore the pang of separation as she listens to the Corvette's engine flares to life, then grows quiet with distance as Lucifer heads back to his penthouse. He's been back such a short time- just a few days- and she's been working very hard to not remember how empty she felt when he was missing from her. They had both been reluctant to part for any length of time, each half missing the other so fiercely when they did that the limited time away from each other was punctuated with random calls and texts, habitual check-ins, confirmation of presence on both sides.

_I'm here. You're here. We're here._

Chloe pulls in a deep, steadying breath and reminds herself that Linda says this clinging stage is completely normal after a forced extended parting. Not to mention traumas such as _actual Hell_ plus kidnap and near death experiences. It will pass, in time. It's not unhealthy, just a temporary result of very intense experiences.

She snaps a photo of the passed out puppy and sends it to her partner. 

_**I think we wore him out.** _

A moment passes before she receives a response notification: a string of emojis, a bouncing dog, a wolf's head, trees and a smirking devil face.

**_No we should not have set him free to run like his wild ancestors. He's a Shih Tzu, and a puppy. And don't text and drive!_ **

Another notification, a stoplight emoji followed by the same smirking devil face. She shakes her head and refrains from rolling her eyes again as she heads up the stairs to get ready for dinner.


	2. Chapter 2

The lift deposits Lucifer into his penthouse, where he finds a brooding Amenadiel sitting hunched over his bar, nursing a pastel cocktail.

"Hello, Brother," Lucifer greets as he breezes past on his way to his closet. "Cosmos again? Fighting with the good Doctor, are we?"

His brother turns on his stool to follow Lucifer's movement. "We're not fighting, Luci, I'm just giving her a little space."

"Aha, space is it?" Lucifer smirks, removing his jacket and starting to unbutton the waistcoat underneath. "And why is it that she needs space, exactly?"

“I… might have taken Charlie flying without a safety harness.” His brother mumbles something about overprotective mothers and takes a deep drink.

“Well, mothers do like to protect their offspring, or so the Detective keeps telling me. She didn’t even want me to teach the Urchin how to drive, and that involves staying firmly on the ground. _And_ seat belts.” Lucifer’s tone is a bit baffled, but he shrugs his shirt off and adds, “But then, humans are ever so breakable, especially when young.”

“But Charlie _isn’t human-_ “ Amenadiel starts to defend himself but Lucifer cuts him off.

“But none of that tells me why you chose my domicile as your hidey-hole, dear brother. What is it you desire here?”

“We need to have a discussion about Hell. When are you intending to check in on Cain?”

Lucifer nearly stumbles as he’s removing his trousers, but manages to catch himself, his face falling into tense lines. “I… we do, yes. And Maze will likely want to be involved as well. I’ll need to make a visit soon, I don’t want to let it slip too long, but Brother there really is no need for you to be involved in the actual visit. I can make my observations with my fading talent, and no one need be the wiser. If you come along, I’ve no way to make you inconspicuous, and we’ll only draw attention. I’d rather not draw any fights and risk losing any more feathers…”

Lucifer stands in his enormous walk-in closet and settles his chosen ensemble for the evening at the foot of his bed as Amenadiel considers his brother’s idea. “Now, if you don’t mind, I need to shower before my night out with the Decker ladies. You’re welcome to more booze, dear brother, if those froofy cocktails can be considered as such.”

Half an hour later, all puppy contaminants are washed away, and Lucifer emerges from his bathroom in a cloud of steam, wrapped in a towel. Amenadiel still sits at the bar. Lucifer pointedly doesn’t acknowledge his presence, and starts dressing.

“You shouldn’t go back alone, Luci. You don’t know what you’d be walking into, and Cain can’t be trusted.”

“I’ve _told you_ , I don’t trust him-“ Lucifer hisses defensively, eyes flaring red“-that’s why I’ll be checking in! _You_ agreed the oaths were sufficient to keep him hemmed in on good behavior, and his own desire to stay out of his Hell Loop should be an excellent driving force to keep him on the straight and narrow. Or, at the very least, the path slightly less bent and broad.”

Amenadiel merely meets his brother’s gaze quietly before responding. “Regardless, you should have someone with you when you go back. Even a King could use some backup.”

“You never bloody cared about that _before_ , Brother!”

“As you told me once, our lives are change. We have changed, Luci, this is our life now. For as long as we can make it so.”

“Yes, that is the goal, isn’t it.” Lucifer scoffs. “I won’t fight with you, Amenadiel, but I don’t have time for this discussion now, I need to go gather my dates for the evening. I trust you’ll see yourself out when you’ve finished your watered-down swill?”

He strides to the lift and swings his jacket on as the doors open. He turns to face the penthouse once inside, and adjusts his cufflinks with a mulish look on his face.

“Accept the help, Brother. We only want you to be safe.”

The doors have closed before Lucifer can frame any coherent reply.  
 _The nerve! I’m the King of Hell, as if I need help in my own domain. He’s never felt a bit of motivation to help before-_

 _Ah, but that_ was _before. Before Malcolm, before Linda, before Charlie. He’s learning, growing – just like you._ And that thought knocks the wind out of his indignation, though his pride still stings. He casts the thought aside as he settles into his BMW, what the Detective jokingly refers to as his “family car”, owing to the fact that it seats more than two people. He twists his ring on his finger for a moment, then shoots a quick text to Chloe before starting the car and heading off to the Decker household.

Chloe’s phone alerts her of a text, just a devil emoji and a car. “Trix! Lucifer’s on his way, are you about ready?”

Her daughter has been bouncing all over the apartment for the past 20 minutes. Chloe has unbent enough to let her wear a _very tiny_ amount of makeup in honor of the occasion, and Trixie absolutely insisted on something with at least a bit of shimmer. The girl now boasts a tiny amount of eyeliner and some sparkly muted gold eyeshadow, with lip gloss. (Chloe had drawn the line at lipstick, much to her daughter’s disappointment.

She bursts into the living room with the force of an F5 tornado, twirling in her sky-blue dress. She’s been enjoying how very slippery her dress shoes are on the carpet, and Chloe has already admonished her twice for drawing up an electrical charge and accidentally shocking her. She had asked Chloe to braid her hair “like Elsa’s”, and Chloe has managed a rough approximation of a fishtail braid, though of course nowhere near as luxurious as Disney can manage. At least Trixie seems to have gotten “Let it Go” out of her system _before_ Lucifer’s arrival.

“Ooooh Mommy, you look beautiful!” Trixie’s eyes widen with delight, taking in her midnight blue sheath, with bits of silvery sequins that twinkle like stars. She’s left her hair down and natural, with only enough product to sweep it off to her right shoulder."

“Thank you, Trixie, you look pretty, too!” She grins at her daughter, who performs yet another twirl, this time flinging her braid around with the centrifugal force and nearly stumbling over, laughing. “Okay, baby, remember what we talked about tonight?”

“Yes, Mommy, I remember.” Trixie heaves a sigh. “This is a grown-up restaurant, and I have to behave like a _lady_.”

Chloe chuckles at her daughter’s resignation to her “sentence”. “And I don’t doubt you’ll do a wonderful job at that.”

“I _will._ I’ll be the best kid ever.” Trixie’s brown eyes crinkle in a shy smile. “I want Lucifer to be proud of me. And you, too” she adds, as an afterthought.

Chloe sinks down onto the couch. “Oh, sweetie, I am _always_ proud of you. And Lucifer puts a lot of faith in you, too. You’ve always believed in him from day one, and I’m sure you won’t let him down.”

Trixie wraps her arms around her mother’s neck and gives her a happy squeeze, burying her face into her neck. “Oh, Mommy, you smell good too! Can I wear some perfume??” Her eyes sparkle up at her mother, and Chloe can’t refuse. Chloe lets the puppy out one more time, and they retreat upstairs to choose a perfume for Trixie, which Chloe applies very sparingly. A few finishing touches later and a knock sounds at the door, and Trixie is off like a shot. Chloe is just starting down the stairs when she hears the familiar-

“Lucifer!” followed by the sound of a startled angel being wrapped in her 11-year-old’s arms.

“Hello, child,” he smiles down at her head nestled in his ribs. “Only, you’ve just seen me a scant two hours ago, is this rigorous greeting ritual really necessary _every_ time you answer the door?”

A muffled assent, and her head nods against him. He slowly relaxes and leans down to gently return the hug, and she reluctantly releases him.

“My, don’t you look lovely, Urch-“ his eyes lift to find Chloe coming down the stairs and his voice trails off on that thought. Chloe smiles at his blank expression and continues toward the door, letting her partner collect his scattered thoughts. She takes his hand as she reaches the doorway and gives a gentle squeeze. 

“Are we ready?”

He startles and straightens the lines of his jacket, clearing his throat. “Yes, of course! You look stunning, my darling. Goodness, I had no idea I’d be escorting Hemera and Nyx this evening, I feel utterly underdressed.” Chloe gives him a once-over; his suit is so deep a blue it's nearly black. His shirt is snowy white and his waistcoat matches the jacket with silvery-gray embroidery. His pocket square is also silvery, they couldn't have matched more if they'd purposely coordinated.

Trixie’s face scrunches in confusion. “Him and who?”

“What on earth does that educational facility teach you, child? Hemera and Nyx, goddesses of the day-“ he tweaks her nose carefully, “-and night, respectively.” He gives Chloe’s hand a gentle squeeze and lifts it to his lips.

Trixie’s eyes light up and Chloe’s laugh echoes in her entryway. “I think we have enough deities on board with you, let’s not invite any more trouble, hm?”

“As you desire, Det-Chloe. No goddesses, just one handsome Devil. Shall we?” He turns and places Chloe's hand on his elbow, and offers an only slightly hesitant hand to Trixie, and gallantly escorts them to their awaiting BMW chariot.


	3. Chapter 3

Lucifer pulls the car into the valet lane and appears at her door almost before she registers him exiting the car. The attendant helps Trixie from the back seat as Lucifer’s large fingers wrap around her own hand to support her own exit. She smiles up into his warm brown eyes and then her gaze slides down to Trixie, whose own wide brown eyes are sparkling in wonder as she takes in the opulent surroundings.

Lights twinkle everywhere, wrapped around the trunks of the decorative trees in the planters, tastefully tinted spotlights providing splashes of elegant color against the alabaster building. They are welcomed into the entry, and a small “ _Oooooh_ ” escapes Trixie’s lips as her eyes travel up to behold an enormous crystal chandelier shining with azure lights.

“Mr. Morningstar, welcome!” The hostess smiles warmly at the party. “And this must be your Detective, and Miss Espinoza?”

“Good evening, Kimberley,” Lucifer returns the smile and gestures to his sides as well as he able with occupied hands and elbows. “It is indeed just we three this evening.”

The hostess gathers her menus and leads the trio through the main dining area. Trixie focuses on taking in the second tier of tables on the balconies above as they are escorted outside where several semi-private pavilions are set up with tables underneath. They arrive at their table, and Lucifer assists the ladies into their seats before taking his own and accepting the wine list from Kimberley.

“Thank you, my dear. Give Marius and Bethany my greetings, won’t you?”

“Of course!” She grins back at him, wishes the ladies a lovely meal, and returns back to her post.

Chloe lifts an inquiring eyebrow at her partner, who takes a brief glance at the wine list and sets it down, chuckling. “No, she does not owe me a favor, Detective. I merely introduced her to her partners. They all seem quite happy together. I believe there are offspring in their near future.”

She gives him a fondly exasperated look. “Is there _anyone_ in LA that you don’t know?”

“I’m sure there are a few 'shoes' that I have yet to cross paths with, Detective.” He winks at Trixie, who giggles. “I do, after all, excel at finding the 'top hats' to spend my time with.”

Just then, the ceiling of the pavilion catches Trixie’s eye and she exclaims softly in excitement. Chloe catches her breath as her gaze follows her daughter’s. Twinkle lights have been strung from the ceiling, along with a chandelier that casts tiny spots of light upon the canvas that looks like nothing more than a night sky. A soft breeze ripples the tied-back curtains around the pavilion, and the spots of light travel across the canvas with the movement of the chandelier.

“Do you like it, Beatrice? I could think of nowhere more fitting to bring the Future President of Mars, and her proud mother.”

“I love it, Lucifer, it’s so pretty! The only time we get to see this many stars is when we’re camping, isn’t it Mommy?”

“It _is_ pretty, Trixie.” Chloe reaches out to touch the back of Lucifer’s hand. “That’s one of our favorite things about camping- the clear skies at night.”

“I’m rather partial to stargazing myself,” Lucifer murmurs quietly, but his eyes are on his Detective. “although camping is certainly not a requirement for that.”

Their waiter arrives then to take their drink orders, and they spend a few minutes perusing their menus, Lucifer making specific recommendations based on what he knows they each enjoy. Selections are made, drinks delivered, and orders placed. An easy ebb and flow of conversation overtakes the little table, Trixie and Lucifer debating the ins and outs of setting up a political system on Mars, and Chloe hiding her smile behind her glass of Moscato. 

“Just remember, Child, once you’re in power, no one will tell you the truth. You have to be able see it, or find it for yourself, because those below you will only tell you what they think you want to hear.”

“Mr. Morningstar!” Lucifer’s attention is pulled from their conversation as a cheerfully rotund little man approaches the table. “My staff didn’t inform me that you would be in attendance this evening!”

“Ah, Varus!” Lucifer stands to greet the man warmly, “I didn’t want a fuss, only wanted to treat my sublime company here to your excellent cuisine and atmosphere. I’ve been… away, and we’re somewhat celebrating my return this evening.”

“Is this your Detective?” he bestows an incandescent smile upon Chloe. “And who is this absolutely enchanting sprite?”

“Varus Monicelli, please allow me to introduce you to Detective Chloe Decker, and her Offspring, Miss Beatrice Espinoza, the future President of Mars.” Lucifer beams and gestures grandly to his tablemates, as though he were introducing royalty. Chloe feels a rush of warmth flood across her cheeks. _Seriously, does he talk to everyone in this town? Does he talk about_ me _to everyone in this town?_ It certainly seemed so. Everyone she’s met that knows Lucifer seems to know about her in some capacity. She stretches out a hand to greet their guest, and he folds his fingers around hers and presses them, rather than shaking it.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Detective. Lucifer here has sung your praises for years now, and Miss Espinoza! You are the very image of an upstanding young lady this evening! Should I find myself fortunate enough to become a citizen of Mars in the future, you shall certainly have my vote.” Trixie gives the gentleman a wide smile and stands to bob a quick and messy curtsey, with a bright “Thank you sir, it’s nice to meet you!”

Varus gives the young lady an eloquent bow. “Mr. Morningstar, I don’t want to keep you from your stellar company, but meant only to ask if you are ready for your request?”

Lucifer’s gaze sweeps across the table, at the nearly empty plates scattered across it. “I think we are, yes, Varus. Thank you ever so.”

The little man gives a happy squeak and briskly threads his way back to the kitchens.

Chloe reintroduces her interrogational eyebrow, and Lucifer chuckles.

“It occurred to me, Urchin, that while I was away, I missed your birthday. I wanted to try to apologize for that a bit, and I seem to recall you have a strong fondness for a certain dessert?”

Just then their waiter arrives at the table with an impressive triple-layer chocolate-frosted cake with a sparkler spitting multicolored flares from the top.

“Chocolate cake!” Trixie squeals, before remembering to gather herself. “Thank you Lucifer! It _is_ my favorite!”

“You are most welcome, Urchin, though if may make a recommendation – do not try to ingest it all this evening. Delicious it may be, but human digestion can be a tricky thing, even for those as young as yourself.”

Trixie agrees to limit herself to a single slice for now, and they enjoy their dessert in near silence, Chloe shooting warm looks at Lucifer, and Trixie with eyes only for her cake.

“Chocolate cake isn’t usually on the menu here, Detective, but they were willing enough to work with me on that for this occasion.” Lucifer gives her a small smile as she hums her delight when the dark chocolate flavor fills her mouth.

“It’s going to take a week to eat that thing.” Chloe remarks.

“Oh, I highly doubt that, your Spawn is very efficient when it comes to tucking it away! Just look at her go!” Lucifer gestures with his fork to Trixie- who is single-mindedly focused on decimating her piece- and Chloe laughs gently.

“It’s a talent, all right.” Her hand reaches out and she threads her fingers between his on top of the table, her thumb rubbing across his wrist. “Thank you for tonight, Lucifer. This is… perfect.”

A smile lights his face, his eyes sparkling with happiness. “I’ll be happy to repeat this outing anytime you so desire, darling.” His fingers squeeze hers, and Trixie gives a muffled giggle from across the table, enjoying just how happy two of her favorite people look right now.

The remainder of the cake is boxed for transport, and the trio makes their way back to the entry, where Lucifer twirls Trixie back into the back seat before depositing the cake box carefully on the floorboard at her feet. He performs the same seating service for Chloe, though she stubbornly refuses to twirl, then crosses to slide back into the driver’s seat. When they arrive back at the Decker household, Chloe invites him in, then leaves him to his own devices while she chivvies Trixie along to get ready for bed. The child breaks free of her mother’s corralling to latch herself around Lucifer’s waist again. 

“Thank you, Lucifer, I had such a good time!” She lifts her face to look him in the eye. “I’m glad you’re back, Mommy and I _missed you!_ ”

Lucifer pats her shoulders awkwardly and sighs. “And I you, Spawn. I missed you both while I was away, very much.”

She gives him another squeeze before releasing him and making her way to the bathroom to wash her face and get ready for bed. Lucifer straightens his jacket, and brushes himself off, but the actions are half-hearted, more for show than anything. His expression is soft and unguarded as Chloe approaches and presses a kiss to his cheek.

“Will you stay?” she asks quietly. His arm wraps around her waist, and he leans into her side.

“I… would like to. But I need to be back at Lux early tomorrow. When I returned there this evening before dinner, Amenadiel was waiting for me. I…” he hesitates, “I need to go back.”

She feels the blood rush from her face and wraps an arm around him to keep her balance. He notices her expression and the stiffening of her body immediately, and rushes to soothe her, moving to cup her cheek in one hand.

“Only for a check-in, Detective, not for any real length of time! I’m nearly certain it will be less than a day, here. It's already been longer than I intended to wait for the first spot-check, due to waiting for that dratted demon blade puncture to heal up..." his voice trails off. He could have healed faster, if he had been willing to separate from Chloe for the time required to heal- but... well, neither of them had been willing. Neither of them were willing to separate _now_ , but his wound was healed and the situation needed to be monitored. 

"You'll come back." It wasn't a question.

"As soon as devily possible."

"And you won't go alone." Also not a question.

"Amenadiel and Mazikeen have been very clear that I do so on peril of my life and limbs. Quite literally."

"Lucifer. You won't go alone."

He sighs. The hazards of someone knowing him too well. "I cannot promise _never_ to go back alone, but I promise that for this visit, and any visit that is planned, I will not go without aid, unless previously agreed that it is acceptable. Will that suffice?"

She presses her forehead to his, fingers threading into his hair and nods once. "You'll go tomorrow, then?" He returns the nod.

"Will you stay tonight?" she asks again. She pulls in a deep breath, taking in the fragrance of his cologne and his own crisp scent underneath. He's only been back a few days, it's too soon to part again...

"I'll stay."

"And you won't leave without saying good-bye?" her voice is pleading. Lucifer presses a kiss to her forehead and nods again, pulling her into a real embrace. 

"I won't. I won't, Chloe."

They stand that way for a long time, forming a fragile shelter from the gathering storm.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe wants to show Lucifer that she loves him before he makes his "business trip" to Hell. Please note the rating change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll apologize for this now. Like, really big super apologies. This chapter is not something I ever envisioned myself writing (EVER), but the story insisted and I am but its slave. It took me all day (no really, literally all day, started at 8 am, posting at midnight), and I cringed the entire time. You may recall my claim that I am not a writer, that claim still holds, and I stand by it. I think I chose the right rating, please let me know if you think I should change it. If you'd like to skip this chapter, I'd honestly probably be really grateful. I'm hoping they don't make me write anything like this ever again. If you decide to proceed after all these warnings... Well, I hope you like it, you masochist.

Chloe eventually gathers the strength to step away from the embrace, and busies herself with taking Kimo out and putting the leftover cake away. Lucifer keeps a safe distance between himself and the puppy but trails closely behind her to the kitchen, and raids her cabinet for a bottle of wine and some glasses. He pours, and they migrate into the family room, settling into the couch.

"Tell me the plan?" She asks quietly, entirely sure she doesn't want to know, but equally sure she needs to.

He sighs. "We don't have one yet, other than A. Check on Cain, B. Don't lose any feathers, and C. Get back as soon as possible. That will be discussed to death tomorrow morning, I'm sure." He eyes his glass of wine, as though considering if he's going to need stronger fortification to prepare. "This would be so much easier if I could just go _alone._ _"_

"Lucifer, you-"

"I know, I bloody promised I wouldn't, and I won't unless it's unavoidable. _I keep my word_ , Detective." She rubs his chest soothingly, nodding against his shoulder in acknowledgement. "It doesn't change the fact that if I went alone, I could simply use my fading talent to monitor the situation and be out before anyone knew I was there. As it stands, I'm going to have to make an official appearance, with my enthusiastic entourage in tow."

"Well, you can't fault them for wanting to keep you safe." Chloe chuckles a bit as she pictures the angel and demon's stony faces. Lucifer makes a face and she continues, "Okay, _you_ can fault them, but _I_ can't. If I could go, you wouldn't be getting away without me, either."

Lucifer goes still as stone. "Hell will never see a hair of yours, Chloe. **_Never._** " She glances up and confirms her suspicion that his eyes are flashing crimson, and places a calming hand on his knee. He glances down at her and his eyes dim back to their normal deep brown, but his voice trembles. "Please don't ever even think it. I... I couldn't bear it. It is not for you. Never for you, darling."

"Alright," she agrees easily, resting her cheek against his chest. "But maybe it's not a bad thing to accept that we want you to be safe, too? Families protect each other, Lucifer, or at least that's how it's supposed to work. You've got a real family now, and we're going to work just as hard to keep you safe as you do for us." She pauses for a moment before adding, "Can Trixie and I come with you tomorrow, to the penthouse? I'd like to at least be in on the planning, and we could wait for you to get back?"

"Are you sure you want the child to be privy to all that? The discussion is not likely to be delicate, after all."

"We'll need to tell Trixie about the visit anyway, you saw how upset she was when you didn't say goodbye last time... But, no I don't want her to hear the details of the planning. But, if you let her bring Kimo, we can hole them up in the guest room to play while we plan."

"You really do have a dastardly streak in you, Detective." He wipes away a mock tear. "I'm so proud." They both laugh softly, and he continues, shuddering delicately. "The Urchin can bring the fuzzy fiend, since there's no carpet in that room for him to destroy. And of course I will bid her good-bye before we depart. But I'll need to thoroughly sanitize the entire place when I return. Honestly, the lengths I go to, to keep you all safe..." His voice is still teasing, but she feels a pang.

He presses his cheek against her hair, and she can feel the muscles there pull into a small smile. His warm, broad hand smooths over her shoulder and down her arm, then slowly back up again, toying with the shoulder strap of her dress absently. They sit in comfortable silence for a bit as they sip their wine, Lucifer occasionally pressing his lips against her hair. 

Finally, he moves to distract her, or himself, from the previous subject. "Did they tell you when your evaluation will be?"

With any exceptionally stressful event, the department mandates time off duty, followed by a full psych evaluation before return to light duty. They are both more than familiar with this procedure by now, with the gamut of strange situations that seem to follow them both like a pack of faithful Hellhounds.

"Should be Tuesday, unless the psychologist has to reschedule. You'll definitely be back by then, right?"

"I certainly hope so, Detective." Tomorrow is Sunday, and he'd like to return the same day. Preferably the same hour. She nods, aware that he can't promise more, and tightens her arm around his waist.

His heart swells in his chest and suddenly it feels as though he needs to work a bit harder to breathe. He pulls in a deep breath through his nose and her slightly floral scent nearly overwhelms him. She lifts her head and their eyes meet- each recognizing the fear, love, and want in the depths of the other. Like magnets, lips follow where eyes are drawn. They meet with deceptive softness, like the slightest trickle of ice before the glacier calves into the sea. The emotional force behind the kiss is far greater than the feather-light pressure applied initially. They've shared several dozen chaste kisses over the past few days since Lucifer's return. This one feels... different. To Chloe, it feels like a promise- he will return to her. To Lucifer, it feels like an affirmation - she will be there, will wait for his return. It's a lifeline for both of them and they are loathe to let it go, taking comfort in their togetherness. Chloe moves first, bringing her hand up to caress along his jawline and over his ear, threading her fingers into his hair and pulling him further into the kiss. He goes eagerly, tracing the barest tip of his tongue along the seam of her lips until she parts them to allow him entrance. He surprises her by not taking advantage immediately, despite his obvious interest. He explores. Thoroughly. His tongue slowly, neatly maps her lips before moving further, caressing her own tongue before advancing his gentle explorations deeper. His hand continues to soothingly stroke along her shoulder and upper arm, while his free hand traces his fingers along the side of her neck, thumb rubbing gently under her jaw. 

Once his survey of the new territory is complete, his movements change. Still gentle, his tongue slides under hers, coaxing it forward into a dance, inviting her to explore him in return. She opens her eyes to find his regarding her with an intense focus. She finds herself unable to look away, and holds their eye contact as she slowly slides her tongue past his lips and entwines it with his. His eyelids droop in pleasure and a low moan rumbles up from his chest, traveling up to reverberate in the enclosed space of their mouths. Chloe feels her lips stretch in a smile and her fingers tighten in his hair. The dance continues, both exploring and enjoying this new closeness for what feels like both no time at all and a pleasant eternity before they break apart to catch their breath. Lucifer presses his forehead to hers for a moment, their breaths mingling in their timeless cocoon. He brushes his lips at the corners of her mouth, her forehead, her eyelids, then from her chin up her jawline, barely-there brushes skimming slowly down the soft skin of her throat, then along her collarbone. Warmth spreads through her from those places where his lips graze, and she rolls her head to the side to give him room to move. She makes a tiny noise of contentment as her fingernails lightly scratch through the thick hair she is slowly freeing from its product-based prison. She presses her lips to his temple, then traces them down toward his jaw, catching his earlobe gently between her lips. She feels his breath falter against her skin as she teases her tongue around it, and when she gives it a careful nibble a hand finds her hip and pulls her closer. 

"Det-"

"Can we go upstairs now?" she interrupts him, suddenly afraid of what he might say. If he wants to stop... 

"...Yes." His voice is strained, breath hot against her neck, "But-"

She pulls away and nearly leaps to her feet, hand stretched out to pull him up alongside her. He stands obligingly, and lets her lead him dazedly up the stairs toward her bedroom. 

He follows her willingly, but his mind is tripping and stuttering while his feet unerringly navigate the path ahead. He keeps hearing flashes of Linda in his mind, which is increasingly frustrating as the Detective is so very keen on holding his attention just now. 

_Is this the moment?_

They reach the bedroom and Chloe closes the door behind them, not letting go of his hand. She hasn't turned on the light, but Lucifer has no problems seeing in the dark. He takes in her dilated pupils, her ragged breathing. He watches her close her eyes and swallow hard as a tear breaks free and trickles down her cheek. He lifts a hand to catch it, his thumb gently brushing below her eye and she startles a bit before leaning into his touch.

"Chloe," he begins, but she cuts him off again.

"I'm _not_ afraid, Lucifer. Not of you, not of us." The words fall from her in a torrent eager to be heard, "I only- it's the same as last time. I'm afraid of losing you, that you'll be trapped somewhere I can't help you or get to you, and we won't, I won't..." She casts her eyes downward, sentence trailing off.

He pulls her into his arms, running his hands soothingly over her back. "Won't what, love?"

She presses her cheek into his chest as she tucks herself under his chin. "I... I want to show you what you mean to me. I want to be with you. Before we lose our chance. I know words are hard, you have a hard time believing what people say, but-"

He silences her with a gentle kiss, his lips roaming across hers slowly as her hands move up to rest on the sides of his neck, holding him in place carefully.

"Chloe," he says again when she allows him to pull away. "I believe you, darling, and as you may have noticed-" he presses his body (and very evident interest) briefly against hers with a dark chuckle- "I am _exceedingly_ invested in our relationship development. I have a few considerable concerns about it being tonight, however. First, this isn't a decision I want you to make based on any kind of fear. I don't want you to have any regrets, darling."

"Lucifer-" her voice is muffled against his chest, but he keeps talking, his hands still making soothing circles on her back.

"I'm a bit afraid that if we do, well, tonight, that it would likely be a significant distraction for me on this little business trip tomorrow. I would also" and here he lets his hands roam a bit, reaching down to cup her butt and give it a gentle squeeze "prefer to have you alone for the entire evening... And the next day or two afterward if at all possible. I want us to have time to enjoy and explore, and I'm afraid I won't want to share you at all for a little while, though I'll try not to be too terribly possessive."

She giggles a little at his admission, though the warm pool of tension at her center only continues to coil. "You might have a point, I suppose. I don't want us to wake Trixie..."

"One last concern, my dear. It has been... A very, excruciatingly long time for me, Detective. I don't want to hurt you. I'll need to, ah, release some tension before I would trust myself to be properly gentle for you."

Chloe can still hear the rough strain in his voice, feel the tension thrumming through his body against hers. She imagines the iron will holding that desire at bay, denying everything that he wants, that she wants...

"Okay," she turns her head to press her lips against his throat, eliciting a surprised sound from him. "I can support those arguments," she murmurs between kisses down his throat, her fingers slowly starting to unfasten the buttons on his waistcoat. "But I see no reason why we can't start working on releasing some of that _tension_ now..." she's finished with the bottom button of the waistcoat and carefully slides her hand a bit lower to caress the straining fabric-covered bulge pressed between them.

"Chloe." Her name is both a plea and a warning as his hands tighten on her ass, and a high-pitched whine escapes his throat as her fingers travel his length. She gives him a gentle squeeze and feels him twitch beneath her fingers and the whine deepens into a groan.

Chloe can't properly see his expression in the darkness of the room, only the faintest shine of the streetlights outside manage to penetrate her curtains and blinds designed to keep out the punishing LA sunlight. She can make out his eyes, appearing as pools of blackness in a shadowed face, a small glimmer of teeth as he worries his lower lip between them. She can feel the lean of his body toward her, though, and the involuntary, immediately restrained buck of his hips against her caress. She stretches up and presses her lips to his, brushing her tongue along his lower one to soothe the sting from his teeth biting into it. She takes it gently between her own and nibbles, tugging it gently as her fingers nimbly begin to unfasten the buttons on his shirt. She feels the moment he loses (or wins?) his internal battle. He presses closer to her, hands sliding up her back, sliding the sequined fabric of her dress up with them. Warmth blooms under her skin following the tracks his hands follow. She pulls his shirt from his waistband and can feel a slight dampness to the fabric as she releases the last two buttons.

She breaks their kiss and slides her hands to his shoulders and pushes his shirt, waistcoat and jacket off with one economical movement. She can't fully appreciate the sight of him in the dark, but she's seen enough, now she needs to feel. Her hands travel down his pectorals, and she feels his breath catch in his chest as her fingers brush across his nipples and down his abdomen. He steps back, pressing his body against the door to give himself room to pull her dress over her head. Once it has been flung to the side, Chloe steps up flush against him, pushing him gently back against the door as her fingers find his belt buckle, the head of his erection straining mightily against it.

 _"Chloe."_ His voice is rougher now, lower. Still that mingling of plea and warning that sends a jolt right to that sweet tension building deep inside.

"Trust me?" She asks.

_"Yes."_

He stays still as she carefully removes the belt, then removes his trousers, only moving his feet to step out of them. She moves back up, grasping the waistband of his boxer briefs, making sure to pull them loose in the front, where the head of his erection had already been vying to escape them. She removes them and reaches to take him gently in hand.

His breath hisses in relief at her touch, but his eyes are locked on her face, trying to gauge her reactions. They're sharp enough, even in next to no light, to catch every expression that crosses it, and he's relieved not to see fear make an appearance as she appraises him with her hands. She gives a firm stroke and his knees nearly buckle beneath him. He catches himself by leaning his weight back against the door, but Chloe feels him falter.

“Are you okay? Is this okay?” Her voice is concerned.

“Yes, love, I am far better than okay in this moment.” His response is raspy, dry. “Just, as I said, it has been a very… _very_ long while since he’s felt any touch but mine. And yours is… well. Special.” His vision can pick up the faint blush creeping up her face and down her chest even in this light, and her lips open in a silent “oh” of realization.

“Maybe… maybe you should sit down?” Her voice trembles a bit, and he has a sneaking suspicion she is trying not to laugh at him. “Or lay down?” She moves her thumb over his sensitive head and his knees nearly give way again.

“Yes,” he agrees hurriedly, extending the ‘s’ in a sibilant hiss, “that seems like a sound idea, darling.”

Chloe giggles quietly and takes his hand, leading him to the bed and gently pushing him to take a seat. Before he does, though, he speaks up.

"Detective, we should... Let's gather some supplies for after, shall we? We'll need some cloths, some water. It will save an undignified scramble later." The corners of his lips quirk in a smile as he watches her blush deepen in the darkness. 

"Right. Um, good idea, I'll, er, be right back."

When she re-enters the room with a small basin of hot water and some soft towels, she finds Lucifer comfortably perched on the side of the bed facing away from her. He's turned on the lamp at the bedside. She sets their supplies down on her bedside table and starts to crawl into bed. 

"Ah-ah, Detective. I think you're still a bit... overdressed?" His voice sounds much more normal now, and he raises an eyebrow at her, gesturing to his nudity then to her strapless bra and undies.

“But we’re-“

“Chloe, if you think, for even one moment that you’re making it through tonight without receiving _at least_ _as much_ pleasure as I think you intend to give me… then we’re stopping right now and I’m going to have to go back to Lux in utter shame.”

“Do you even know what shame _is_?” she laughs as he kneels on the mattress and walks across it on his knees toward her, erection bobbing level with his navel as he moves.

“Of course I do, darling, I was there when it was discovered.” His smile freezes a moment, but when Chloe only giggles again, he slowly reaches toward her. “I can help with those fasteners, I know how tricky they can be…” the bra falls away a beat later, and his warm hands slide down her ribcage to rest at her waist, his eyes never leaving her face. She smiles up at him – he’s _still_ taller than she is, even with her standing and him kneeling on her bed, how is that fair?- and uses his hands to slide her underwear down her thighs until she can step out of them.

“Better?” she asks archly.

“Oh, infinitely.” His mischievous grin is brilliant, crinkling his warm brown eyes at the corners. “Please, do join me.” He gracefully lays back on his side, propping his head up on one hand, the other extending toward her in an inviting gesture.

“I think this is the first time I’ve been invited into my _own_ bed.” She grumbles good-naturedly as she settles onto the mattress next to him, leaving enough space between them to enjoy the view for a moment. He looks like a renaissance painting- all muscular planes and nudity, limned with soft lighting and shadows. His gaze is still trained on her face.

“Chloe,” her name falls from his lips like a prayer. “You are stunning, my dear.” His smile widens as her ever-ready blush appears again.

“I’m-“

 _“Utterly stunning.”_ He interrupts. “Trust me, you know I don’t lie.” The blush deepens and oh, it is fascinating to actually be able to _see_ how far they spread, he’s always wondered that. It’s already spread down to her breasts, and he decided to see just how far he can make it spread. “And your legs are-“

“You really don’t ever shut up, do you?’ She’s smiling as she moves forward and presses against him, kissing him, and whatever he was about to say is lost in a sound of happy surprise. His eyes close in pleasure, his dark eyelashes fanning in perfect half-moons against his cheek, and she brings up a hand to rest there, tracing a thumb lightly across his eyelid as her palm presses against his artful stubble. He presses into the kiss, requesting entrance with his tongue and she eagerly grants it, caressing it with her own as it enters the now-familiar landscape of her mouth. This time she can feel the rumble of his approval emanating in his chest before it reaches his mouth. None of her (few) previous partners had been very vocal, but Chloe is already realizing that she likes it... a lot. Or maybe it's only because it's Lucifer - it's not like she doesn't know exactly how far gone she is for him.

Their mouths move together, neither seeming in any hurry, slowly exploring each other with their hands. Chloe runs her hands over his smooth back, still marveling at the absence of the enormous scars that had disappeared once his wings had grown back. Her hands keep investigating, finding a small ticklish spot just below his right pectoral and makes a mental note to revisit that site later. She ghosts her fingertips over his pebbled nipples and feels his low moan as his hands mirror hers and she whines against his lips as a bolt of pleasure seems to shoot straight from his fingertips deep within her.

At her sound, Lucifer breaks their kiss and slowly moves his lips across her cheek and down her jawline, tracing kisses along the hollow of her throat and to her breasts. His eyes flicker up to meet hers and she smiles, giving him a small nod. That’s all he needs, and he swiftly circles his tongue around one, closing his lips over it and lapping over it gently before moving his mouth to the second and leaving his talented fingers to the first. The friction of his fingers against the moistened skin, in addition to the heat and movement of his mouth and tongue against the other have her arching her back and pressing against his ministrations, biting her lip to stifle her low-pitched moan of pleasure.

Lucifer feels a rush of blood to his nether bits at her sounds and movements, and sinuously flexes his body against her, giving himself a small amount of friction against her hip to help tide him over until he’s seen to her pleasure.

He switches sides twice, alternating between oral and finger manipulation and she honestly can't decide which feels better. The heat and tongue vs the dexterous fingers and cool air on the dampened, sensitized skin... Lucifer's other hand hasn't been idle during this time- he's been exploring other parts of her body, his agile mind cataloguing her responses to touches in various places. Chloe's breathing in shallow pants when he decides it's time to move on with his ministrations. Moving his lips further down her torso, he spends a moment nuzzling her navel and is delighted to find a ticklish spot there.

_Oh, we'll have some fun with that later, I think._

He leaves it for now, though, feeling her body's response start to build and wanting to keep ahead of it. He brushes his lips against the points of her hip bones, eyes flicking up to her face again to judge her reaction. Her eyes are blown wide with arousal. He's worked his way far enough down that she really can't reach much of him to touch, so she's settled for making a right mess of his hair, occasionally stroking his face, or neck, or shoulder.

He's currently laying on his stomach, chest wedged between her knees. He rests his chin on her hip and her gaze meets his, her knees tightening on either side of his ribs. The sweet scent of her arousal surrounds him and he's thankful he doesn't have to fight what he really wants to do here. His fingers lightly travel the seam of her and he feels her breathing hitch.

"Oh, Detective, you feel absolutely _lovely_..."

"Lucifer." She pants

"Hm?" He asks innocently, his fingers starting to part her lips and gently stroke against the wetness there.

"Shut - _ohhhh_ " he moves down and laves his tongue along her opening and she can't complete the thought. He moves his tongue along the smooth muscle there, sliding between her folds and feeling her muscles coiling tighter. Her hands are in his hair, and his name is on her lips as he fastens his lips around the bundle of nerves he's been carefully avoiding up 'til now.

Chloe's hands convulsively fist in his hair and she can feel her nails grazing Lucifer's scalp as his mouth closes around her. She can feel his groan against her, feels him flickering his tongue across that bundle of nerves as he gently suckles there. She pulls in another shallow breath and feels her mouth forming his name as that tightening coil finally snaps and she's in free fall.

He feels the flutter of her muscles clenching around him and responds by making encouraging sounds and sending his tongue deeper inside, eagerly collecting the taste of her. His nimble fingers continue with light, barely-there brushes against her nub to extend the sensation for her while his mouth is wholly occupied. Chloe's hips start to move against him, craving more, and he plunges his tongue into her depths, moving his fingers away and providing the palm of his hand for her to grind against as they both ride the wave of her completion. His own arousal twinges, and he pumps a few slow strokes against the bed as her final tremors play out against his hand and mouth.

He moves his hand up to rest on her stomach and her fingers grip it tightly, pulling him up. He goes willingly, freeing his hand from her grip only to pop his fingers into his mouth one by one and suck any remaining liquid from them.

She is breathtaking in the aftermath. He was distracted this time, ensuring her pleasure, but next time... Oh, next time he intends to watch as she falls apart.

He settles on the mattress next to her, sliding his fingers into her hair as she grounds herself, fitting her pieces back in place. Her gaze sharpens bit by bit, and her eyes come back to his.

"Well hello there, darling." His smile widens as hers appears.

"Hi." Her voice is lower, a bit throaty, slightly raspy and Lucifer's member twitches at the sound. His hand moves to absently give a slow stroke or two, and Chloe's eyes follow his movement, widening as she gets a real look at it.

She's seen him before, of course, several times, but not like this. He was erect before, now he's erect and _engorged_. His arousal had been heightened by her own climax and responses to him, and all she can think is, _we really need to do something about that right now_.

She settles against the headboard next to him, and leans in to kiss him. She smiles, tasting herself on his lips, and she reaches down to cup one hand over his, still idly stroking himself to soothe the tension there. She pulls his hand away and starts to close her own around it, but pauses when his indrawn breath hisses.

"Sorry Detective, it's a bit... Overwrought at the moment. It's just-"

"Been awhile. Yes..." She quirks an eyebrow at him in wry amusement. She thinks for a moment... She doesn't have any- oh. Of course she does. She sees him twitch as she moves her hand down between her own legs and gathers some of the remaining moisture there, then closes her hand around him, stroking gently.

His moan is nearly subsonic- so deep it could be easily classified as a growl. She moves her hand down to his base, then strokes back up toward the head, feeling the taut skin shift slightly under her hand. She swipes her thumb across the pearlescent drop coalescing on the head and spreads it for further comfort as her hand moves on him.

His hands are very carefully placed in the sheets beside his hips, and are gripping there so tightly she can see the whitening of his knuckles as the sheet forms tents between his fingers.

"Chloe," his voice is raw, roughened with effort to keep it low. "I need to make it very clear that my stamina here is not going to be indicative of my normal- _ahhhh_ …"

Chloe has a pretty good idea of how that sentence was going to finish, but she really isn't concerned because she feels him pulsing in her hand, throbbing as he somehow becomes even harder as his abdominal muscles tense so fiercely that he nearly curls around himself. He manages to keep his response confined to the strained exhalation, but she can see the effort it costs him, and she speeds her strokes, making them firmer to add the sensation of friction to increase the pleasure.

She catches his lips with hers and he allows himself to moan in pleasure, letting her stifle the sound for him as his hips thrust into her hand. She feels his pressure building and his movements become more erratic, losing his rhythm against her. She gives him a firm squeeze from base to head and feels him let go as he pulls from her kiss to cry out her name. Her gaze is fixed on his face, trapped in that moment of extreme bliss, eyes locked on hers as his body trembles and he erupts over himself, her hand, forearm, and sheets. She continues to stroke him, helping him ride out the aftershocks.

The sounds he makes has her squeezing her own thighs together, and somehow he notices. His hands are still shaking as his own climax nears completion, but he slides his hand down to her sex and carefully slides a finger along her seam, finding her wet again. He slides one in, and at her low moan, quickly adds a second, pushing in slowly, but deep. Her hips rock against his hand as he flexes his fingers inside her, crooking them up toward her stomach and she feels her muscles pulling together. His hips are still thrusting into her hand, and he matches his finger movements in time with them and she feels her climax climbing again as he incredibly hardens in her hand once more.

"Yes, Lucifer, yes." She whispers againts his shoulder.

"Chloe," he moans her name, "come for me, darling." And he brushes his thumb across her nub and she lets go with a bitten off cry, joined seconds later by his own and another warm spurt in her hand.

This time, when the muscle tremors have settled, they lean against one another sated and pleasantly exhausted. Chloe eventually regains herself to release her grip on his member, and reaches over for the towels. She dips one in the water, which now only slightly warm, and silently blesses Lucifer's forethought.

 _I really don't think I could move right now if I wanted to_. And she honestly doesn't want to. Lucifer seems to be in a similar state of mind, a small, satisfied smile on his face as he takes the towel from her and starts to clean her first, gently wiping the sticky traces from her body. She reaches for a second towel and wets it as he wipes her down, then starts on him, gliding the cloth down his chest, over his thighs, and between his legs.

It's a loving gesture, this cleaning of one another, and not something either of them has experienced before. Neither of them says a word, but once they are clean, they fall into their sleeping position of prior experience: limbs tangled, embracing one another with Lucifer's face buried in the hollow of Chloe's neck.

"D'tectv?" He mumbles sleepily.

"Hm?"

"Love you."

A smile flashes across her face just as sleep steals her away. "Me too," she murmurs in his ear.


	5. Chapter 5

_A vision of vacant brown eyes, clouded in death, a rictus of agony frozen on his still face as the demons swarm his cooling corpse, ripping dimly glowing feathers from his wings in hopes of obtaining a key to make it to the Earthly plane- a final, stolen gift from their erstwhile King._

_"No. Nonononono. Lucifer, no-"_

_A bedraggled Amenadiel appears in front of her, clutching a bloodied and unconscious Mazikeen, sprawling on the penthouse floor with a smattering of ash and dove-grey feathers._

_"I'm sorry, Chloe," he pants, dropping to his knees. "It was a trap. They broke his wings and tore them off- it was all I could do to tear Maze away from them-"_

_A cold emptiness yawns inside her chest, a vast chasm of echoing nothingness as breath deserts her lungs and does not return._

"Not Lucifer, NO!"

"Chloe." Impossibly strong arms close gently around her, a gravelly voice whispers in her ear as she curls into the warm body next to her and muffles her sobs in the shoulder she finds herself pressed against. "Detective. _Chloe!_ It's quite all right, darling, wake up now." His voice is raspy with sleep, but he sounds as if he's been repeating these words for some time now. His burning hands are pressing soothing lines along her back as she clings to him and fights to free herself from the nightmare. She feels his lips press against the crown of her head between reassuring murmurs. "It's only a dream, Chloe, you're safe. The Urchin is safe."

"You-"

"I'm here, Detective, right here with you." He chuckles softly into her ear. "You're wrapped around me so tightly I'm not likely to be able to go anywhere, even if I were inclined to do so."

She clings to him like a burr, and he holds her as her breathing slowly returns to normal, muscles relaxing under his ministrations and reassurances. When she finally opens her eyes, she notices that the room is still dark, the sun not yet risen. The silence stretches between them, not uncomfortable, but neither is it relaxed. Wrapped together in her sheets, it feels as though time does not exist in this moment.

"Lucifer," she breathes his name against the skin of his throat. "Promise me you'll be careful. That you'll think before you do something, and that you'll let Maze and Amenadiel protect you where they can?"

He chuffs a wry laugh against her hair. "You ask a lot of me, my darling, and all of it against my nature." He lets his hands slow their movement against her back, framing his answer before he shares it with her aloud. "I can promise, Chloe, that I will do everything in my power to come back to you as quickly and safely as possible. Hell requires careful handling, but forethought is not always possible when demons are involved. I doubt I could stop Amenadiel or Mazikeen from acting as they see fit in any situations we may face, but I will not knowingly allow either of them to try to sacrifice themselves for me if I can at all help it. _I_ am King, Chloe. Hell _is_ my responsibility, unwillingly as it may have been undertaken. I really don't think we're going to have any serious problems for this visit - Cain hasn't had enough time to build a rebellion, even if he's planning to. A decade is nowhere near long enough to get that kind of cooperation from demons, and that's about how long it's been..."

"Lucifer, you've been back 3 days."

"Yes, give or take a bit. Bit of a time zone difference, remember?"

"Mmh." _Right. Three hundred years or so in the three months he'd been gone._

He rubs his cheek against her temple, his stubble rasping against the hair there. "Do you want to talk about it?"

She burrows her face into the hollow of his throat and makes a negative sound.

"Do you think you can get back to sleep? You should try, if you can." His lips brush her forehead, and he can feel her trembling muscles slowly relaxing.

She drifts back to sleep wrapped in the devil's arms, and he keeps a watchful vigil for the remainder of the night.

******************************

The next morning she wakes all at once to cool, smoothed sheets on the unoccupied side of her bed, and clutching a pillow that smells of Lucifer. She pops up quickly, heart pounding until she hears the sound of silverware clinking and his soft, accented tones conversing with Trixie floating up from the kitchen. Chloe levers herself out of bed and takes what may be the fastest shower of her life before dressing and heading downstairs for breakfast. She rounds the staircase and finds a fully-dressed Lucifer and Trixie in her pajamas seated at the breakfast bar, tones low and serious. Lucifer’s back is to her, but he turns when Trixie smiles tremulously.

“Detective! Good morning, darling.” He stands quickly, slipping off his jacket and sweeping around the bar to the stove, where he has apparently readied the ingredients for her meal. Rolling up his sleeves, he adds “I wasn’t sure when you would be down, so thought I’d wait until you made your appearance so your food wouldn’t get cold. Your refrigerator is a bit lacking, so I’m afraid your omelet options are a bit sparse. Is cheese and sausage quite all right?”

She follows him around the bar and presses close for a kiss, much to Trixie’s squealed delight. He leans into the kiss, hands resting gently at her hips, and she can feel the corners of his mouth twitching up in a smile.

“That sounds perfect, Lucifer, thank you.” He sways toward her for another kiss, then seems to think better of it, pivoting back to the stovetop instead. She wraps her arms loosely around his waist and presses against his back, moving with him, but not intending to let him any further from her than he absolutely has to be until his departure. His movements are economical as he assembles the omelet, and she can feel the barest vibrations of him humming under his breath.

A few minutes pass in comfortable silence, and he chuckles, reaching around to pat her hip. “Go sit, Detective, and eat. We have much to do today.”

She squeezes his waist and retreats to the bar as he plates her food and brings it to her, then retreats to the coffee maker to prepare her cup before sitting close beside her. Trixie is finishing her own omelet (no sausage, just loads of cheese – honestly her Monkey would live on just cheese alone if Chloe would let her.), and stands to take her plate to the sink.

“Lucifer says we’re going to his place today, and that Kimo can come, too!”

Chloe turns to look at the puppy, suddenly remembering his presence and sees that he is both clean and content, finishing up a few kibbles from his bowl. Trixie registers her surprise and a huge grin crosses her face. “I _told_ you I could take care of a puppy, Mom. I let him out twice this morning already and made sure he got his breakfast on time.”

“And she’s managed to do a remarkable job at keeping that hyperactive heathen away from my Burberry, so there’s that, as well.” Lucifer aims a glare at the offending puppy, but softens it with a smile at Trixie.

“Did Lucifer mention why we’re going to the penthouse today, Monkey?” Chloe lifts an eyebrow at Lucifer, wondering how much he divulged to her daughter. Trixie's demeanor when she had first entered the room had seemed sad, but she was putting a show of good humor now.

“He said he needs to go check on Hell and make sure everyone there is behaving,” Trixie replies as she rinses the remaining cheesy residue off her plate. “And that Maze and Amenadiel are going with him because they think he needs a babysitter.”

“Lucifer!” Chloe is torn between exasperation and laughter – an all-too-common feeling whenever her partner is involved in a situation.

“Well, I wasn’t going to lie to the child, Detective.” He flashes her a wicked smile. “And while it’s true that I don’t need the supervision, I acknowledge that Maze and my dear Brother feel the need to ascertain that fact for themselves- and that you will also feel more comfortable if they accompany me.”

“Maze says you don’t have to look over your shoulder if you know who has your back.”

“Yes, well, we won’t address the irony of the two beings I’ll have at my back being the angelic brother who spent millennia shoving me back in Hell and the demon who spent a good part of the last few years trying to trick me into going back there as well…” Lucifer sighs heavily. “I do trust that neither of them has any specific interest in doing so now, so I suppose that will just have to suffice.”

Chloe keeps her face blank with some effort, but she _had_ forgotten that Maze had worked with Pierce to try to ruin Lucifer’s life here to force him to leave, and that Amenadiel had gone so far as to raise a corrupt cop from Hell to _kill_ Lucifer to send him forcibly back to Hell. _How did I forget that? God- or, whoever- has Lucifer_ ever _had someone solidly on his side?_ Anyone _that hasn’t betrayed him, let him down, or tried to manipulate him?_ Maybe Trixie. Or Ella. Certainly not her. She pushes her omelet away, unable to finish the last few bites as her stomach turns unpleasantly.

“What time are we meeting the others?”

“Apparently, you’ll have the good Doctor’s company today as well. Amenadiel says they’ll be able to meet us at the penthouse around 9. I'm to understand that travel with a tiny human spawn is a bit of an ordeal.”

“It definitely can be.” Chloe remembers the challenges of going anywhere with a baby, for any length of time, and feels a twinge of sympathy for Linda.

She presses her shoulder against his for a moment, and rises to clear her dishes away. Chloe’s phone alerts as she returns to the bar, and she finds a text from Ella.

_**I’ve gotta stop by the lab to follow up on some test results, but I’ll come by the penthouse as soon as I’m done!** _

“Why is Ella coming by the penthouse later?”

“Ms. Lopez as well?” Lucifer’s brows furrow in confusion. “She was upset when I left without word last time, and as I’ve no desire for another kick to the shins, I informed her this morning of our little hop planned for today.”

Chloe’s lips twitch at the reminder of Ella’s revenge for being left in the dark as to Lucifer’s non-method-actor status. It was brutal, really, Ella had waited until he was fully healed from his demon blade stabbing, and then made sure Chloe was nearby so Lucifer had not been spared the full effect of her chosen vengeance. She didn’t let the smile completely cross her face, though, since she was still awaiting her own installment from Ella. Chloe wasn’t sure if she wanted to be present when Maze got hers… but she thought she did.

_**Completely not necessary, but of course you’re welcome to come by. It’ll just be me, Trix, and Linda playing the waiting game.** _

_**Whatevs, I’ll be there, sista.** _

An explosion of hearts float up the text message screen, and Chloe laughs as Lucifer, reading over her shoulder, recoils from them as though they were an incoming Lopez Hug™.

"Seriously, though, Detective, do you all really have nothing better to do with your day off? I understand Linda, the father of her offspring will be accompanying me on this little jaunt, and you of course are stubborn as ever. But Ms. Lopez really needn't-"

"Lucifer." Chloe reaches up to rest her palm against his bristly cheek.

“Ella’s our friend. She loves you. She’s Maze’s friend, and Amenadiel’s. Of _course_ she wants to come and make sure you’ll be all right.”

Lucifer looks a bit lost, like he’s trying to understand that people actually _care_ about his well-being but can’t quite make that leap. Chloe stretches up to kiss his cheek. “You’d better get used to it, Mr. Morningstar. You’ve got people now. You’ve had us for awhile now, actually. And this is how it works.”

“I have, have I?” His coffee-colored eyes are warm and the corners crinkle as his smile spreads across his face, lighting them from within. “I suppose one more adjustment won’t hurt too badly.”

He leans down to wrap his arms around her in a tight embrace, and rests his chin against the top of her head. “Now, love, if you’re really intending to waste your day waiting for us to return from our Road Trip to Hell, you should probably make certain you have everything you need to keep your Offspring and her chaotic canine entertained.”

“I’m not wasting my day, Lucifer. I’m spending it with friends, and being supportive of the man that I love.”

"Well done, Detective, you've effectively shot down my last protests." His hands tighten reflexively against her back before he drops them to his sides and steps away. "Now, what do we need to gather?"

Chloe convinces Lucifer to ride with them in her cruiser with minimal effort- he flatly refuses to allow Kimo in his BMW, and he truly has as little desire to be separated from her as she has to be separated from him, even for only the amount of time it takes to drive across town to Lux. Every second now is precious, no matter how quickly they return. Chloe grips his hand as she navigates the slightly lighter-than-normal LA Sunday morning traffic, and he turns his hand so their fingers can interlace. His thumb strokes smoothly against hers in a slow, soothing motion, and he hums under his breath along to the music on the radio. Even Trixie is quiet, perceptive as always to the moods of the adults around her. Kimo settles in his travel crate with a heavy sigh, having failed to convince Trixie to let him out.

They pull into the garage at Lux and Chloe parks among Lucifer’s collection of sleek and shiny vehicles. She shuts off the car and silence reigns for a long moment before Kimo restlessly dances in his crate and breaks the spell. Lucifer gives Chloe’s hand a squeeze and drops it as he pushes his door open and exits the sedan. Chloe pulls in as deep a breath as she can manage, and smiles into the rearview mirror.

“C’mon Monkey, let’s go get Kimo settled for the day!” If the smile doesn’t reach her eyes, Trixie doesn’t call her on it, and they follow Lucifer to the elevator that becomes the first leg on his journey back to Hell.


	6. Chapter 6

The lift doors open into the penthouse, early morning California sunlight streaming in the floor-to-ceiling windows, shattered and glittering in refractions thrown from the marble floors. Lucifer glances worriedly at the wriggling puppy and the girl struggling to keep hold of him.

“I’ll, er, just go make sure there’s nothing particularly of value in the guest room. _Please_ don’t let that hellhound anywhere near my settee.” He disappears quickly into the depths of the apartment and Trixie and her mother share a look and a quiet giggle at their devil’s puppy-induced anxiety.

Chloe checks her phone and realizes they’ve made good time, they should have about 20 minutes before everyone is supposed to be here. She shoulders the puppy bag ( _not quite as heavy as a diaper bag_ , she thinks to herself wryly, _but not far off, either_ ) and she and Trixie follow Lucifer toward the guest room to fortify it for Operation Puppy Occupation. They find him carefully placing a rolled area rug into the guest closet. The duvet is pulled from the bed and neatly folded on the upper shelf of the closet, and anything within 4 feet of the floor has been tucked away or relocated. He carefully does another sweep of the area. The legs of the remaining furniture are metal, and he seems satisfied with his preparations. 

“Well, Urchin, here we are. What’s left to be done?”

Chloe sets the puppy bag on the bed, and pulls out some supplies. They set up a large area in one corner with puppy pads (the nearest grassy area is clearly too far to be practical for walking a puppy), and another area in the opposite corner for a water dish, and his toys in yet another corner of the spacious room. Kimo wanders the room and gives it a thorough sniffing, and Lucifer winces as he squats on the potty pads nearly immediately. Chloe pats him gently on the back and tries not to laugh.

“Between this walking dustmop and my drooling nephil of a nephew, I’m going to need a complete hazmat team. Are Dandy Lyon cleaners still in business, do you think?” The earnest line between his eyebrows indicates that he’s only half-joking. Probably less than half. She gives him a smile and a shrug and turns to her daughter.

“Trixie-babe, why don’t you spend some time playing with Kimo and making sure he’s comfortable in here? Everyone will be here in a few minutes, and once he’s settled you can come out while we talk, if you want.”

Trixie’s dark eyes move between the two adults before lingering on Lucifer, who smiles gently at her. He sinks to the bed, lowering himself closer to her eye level. He holds out a hand toward her, and she takes it. “I promise, Beatrice, I will not leave without saying goodbye.”

“And,” she asks quietly, “you’re coming back?”

“As soon as I possibly can, Urchin.” He draws her into a loose embrace, and Chloe catches her breath. It’s the first time he’s initiated a hug with Trixie, and her heart is torn between breaking and overflowing as her daughter melts into it and clings to him tightly. The moment stretches until he whispers into her ear, just loudly enough for Chloe to overhear, “I have no desire to be separated from you and your mother any longer than absolutely necessary.”

“Well, Luci, it’s good to know where I stand.” A deep voice sounds from the doorway just behind Chloe and she nearly levitates as she whirls. There stands an amused Amenadiel, watching his brother embrace the tiny human girl.

Lucifer shoots a glare at his brother, but doesn’t try to disentangle himself from Trixie just yet. “Well, Brother, I can hardly be separated from you, since you refuse to let me visit my kingdom _without_ you. Of course, if you’ve changed your mind on that score-“

This was met by negatives on all sides, and Lucifer heaves a sigh, pulling back from Trixie and rising from the bed. “Alright, Child, get this… creature… settled, and we’ll all have a little chat.” The adults depart, and Trixie settles on the floor, snuggling with the pup as the door closes behind them.

“Good morning, Doctor. It looks like you’ll be in good company today.” They enter the sitting room, Lucifer giving wide berth to the baby pen that Linda is setting up in the corner. Close enough for supervision, but far enough that quiet conversation won’t wake Charlie once he drops off to sleep. “Not only will you have the lovely Decker women to keep company on your vigil, but Ms. Lopez will apparently be stopping by as well. Perhaps she’ll manage to work in _your_ kick to the shins while she’s here.” His grin is just this side of wicked, clearly he’s eager for everyone to share in the experience of Ella’s wrath.

“Hello Lucifer, Chloe.” Linda finishes setting up the enclosure and joins them in the sitting area, giving each of them a hug. Lucifer mutters something about ‘enough bloody hugs’ and she chuckles as she tugs him over to the couch and pushes him to sit down next to Chloe, then sits next to him. Amenadiel takes one of the chairs across from the couch and leans forward, elbows braced on his knees. Chloe grabs Lucifer’s hand again, and takes a breath.

“Okay guys. What’s your plan?”

“I am aware that this will be an unpopular opinion,” Lucifer begins, and Chloe feels his hand tighten on hers. “But I truly think I should go in first and use my fading talent for a bit of reconnaissance. I can be in and out in a trice, with no one the wiser.”

“Luci, that’s not-“ Amenadiel starts –

“No.” Chloe’s voice is flat, adamant. “Just- no.”

“I’m gonna third that ‘No’ vote,” Maze adds from the elevator.

Lucifer glares at his demon, eyes briefly flashing red before he sinks back into the couch in defeat. “Fine. By all means, let’s see what brilliant plans you lot come up with. Do wake me before we leave, hm?”

“I’m not really sure I’ve got a good grasp on your fading talent, Lucifer. Can you explain it to me?” Linda’s voice is soft, but loud in the silence following Lucifer’s capitulation.

“It’s… somewhat difficult to explain, Doctor, but I’ll try.” He rests his head against the back of the couch and closes his eyes, thinking. “I explained it to Ms. Lopez as an… opposite of my magnetism. I’m _not_ invisible, but I am… unseen. Anyone could walk right past me and not even notice I was there, as if I were an unremarkable part of the scenery. If I lose my concentration, I become visible, so it’s difficult to move and hold it in place, but in familiar surroundings it becomes easier to hold onto. Hell, unfortunately, is very familiar.”

“So, here-“

“Oh, it works quite well here on Earth. I just don’t have much of a need for it here. I’ve only used it a handful of times on the Earthly plane- after all, I rather _enjoy_ the attention I get here.” He practically purrs that last bit. “In Hell, however, it is a very handy talent.”

“How many people -demons- whatevers- in Hell know about that talent?”

“The only one that knows is sitting there.” Lucifer flicks his eyes to Maze.

Linda nods slowly. “I can definitely see how that would be a very useful talent in Hell. But perhaps not on _this_ visit. You said before you’d need to make a “State Visit” of sorts with Amenadiel and Maze in tow, so perhaps that’s the best approach for now. Walk in with a fanfare, your escorts in places of honor, wings out.”

“Ahh.. perhaps not wings. I’m trying to avoid the whole Demonic Feather Express transport system, so I think the Devil Face should rather make an appearance than the wings.”

“Agreed, Luci.” Amenadiel chimes in. “That’s the side of you they know best anyway, unless you can summon those dragon wings you wore at the- uh- before.” He veers away from mentioning Charlie’s kidnapping and the horrible ordeal at the Mayan in front of Linda.

“All right, that… seems reasonable.” Lucifer admits peevishly. He gives Chloe’s hand a gentle squeeze to take the sting out of his tone. “Mazikeen, do you have any spare hell-forged blades so that Amenadiel can go armed? I know you’re the fist of God, Brother, but those blades really do make quite the difference if it comes to a fight. And I think the good Doctor and your Spawn are rather fond of you, for some reason.”

“I brought all the goods, Lucifer, you think this is my first rodeo?” Maze nudges the duffle at her feet, and it clanks. “I even brought some for you, _my king_.” She drawls the last words, and Lucifer’s face scrunches in distaste.

“I’ll have none of that from you, Mazikeen.”

“Good. We’re on the same page, then.” The corner of her lips quirk in a smile, which he returns. They’re still finding their footing, making their peace together. The bones, the foundation of their relationship is still strong, even if the walls are cracked and the windows spiderwebbed.

Amenadiel crouches next to Maze and they start discussing the merits of various blades, judging his comfort with handling them and finding the best ones to match his fighting techniques. Lucifer watches them distractedly, his real focus is on Chloe, who is pressed against him, tense as a harpstring. Her breathing has sped up as the talk has progressed, and her grip on his hand would likely be painful if he weren’t, well, the devil.

“We truly shouldn’t be walking into anything dire, Detective.” He nudges her shoulder with his, closing his left hand over the top of hers, which are still gripping his right in a vice grip.

He attempts a devilish smile in her direction. “You, Linda, Ms. Lopez and the Spawn can just enjoy a nice day here in the penthouse. Make some brownies. There may even still be some hash hidden away in the kitchen, unless Maze has absconded with it, so the brownies could be medicinal!”

Chloe huffs a tiny laugh. “I’m not fixing pot brownies for my daughter, Lucifer. It’s bad enough Maze sent her to school with some on teacher appreciation day last year.”

“Did she?” Lucifer laughs delightedly. “How did I miss that story?”

“We weren’t…” she trails off, before completing the sentence. “We weren’t really talking about non-work stuff around that time.”

“Ah.” Lucifer’s face is carefully blank, recalling a time when Chloe had returned home from the beach with Cain while Lucifer was at her apartment having a conversation with Maze.

“Lucifer-“

“It’s quite all right, Detective.” He lets the blankness drain from his face, replaces it with a slow smile that reaches and warms his eyes. “We’re bound to run up against these situations from time to time, and we’ve already gotten this all out between us, have we not? Maybe we can see if the good Doctor would indulge us with a joint session when we have some time, if we need to talk more?”

“That’s not a bad idea, Lucifer.” Linda chimes in, swaying behind the couch as she bounces a fretful angel baby in her arms. Lucifer edges away from her conspicuously, recalling some of Amenadiel’s stories of projectile bodily fluids. “Provided Chloe is willing, of course. You two have had more than your fair share of external influences on your relationship, not to mention what’s gone on just between the two of you.”

“Linda, I couldn’t ask you to-“

“I know, it’s not strictly ethical to be a therapist for friends and family. And if you prefer, I can refer you to another therapist if you want to pursue a joint session elsewhere… but do keep in mind that finding one to be able to consider your… less normal parameters might prove a bit of a challenge. And I will fight the therapist that tries to steal Lucifer from me as a patient.” She grins at the devil, who preens a bit at her possessiveness of her favorite patient.

“I believe you! You _were_ ready to go toe-to-toe when you thought Amenadiel was poaching me…” He gives her a genuine smile. “Thank you, Doctor. I’m rather attached to you as well. Finding a therapist for the Devil himself isn’t as easy as it sounds, you know.”

Trixie wanders into the sitting room then. “Kimo’s asleep in his bed, I think he’s settled.”

Lucifer looks in the direction of the guest room, concerned. “Has he destroyed anything yet, Urchin?”

“Not yet.” Trixie giggles, and settles into Lucifer’s side, arms wrapped around his waist. Predictably, this does not ease Lucifer’s expression. “I guess you’ll just have to hurry back to make sure that doesn’t happen, huh?”

“I suppose I will, Offspring.” His eyes wander, perplexed, over the Decker family pressed against him, and back to Linda, hovering with Charlie close behind him. “Ladies, really. We’ll be fine. I’m hardly going into hostile territory with nothing more than a bloody holy water pistol. It’s _my_ kingdom. You’ll have a lovely day here, and we’ll be back as soon as we can. _If_ Amenadiel can manage to choose his weapon?”

The angel and demon seem to have narrowed the selection down to three blades, one long enough to nearly be classified a short sword, the other two shorter, curved. All meticulously honed and oiled, battle-ready.

“Take the lot, Brother, it’s not as if your bulk can’t support the sheaths.”

“Which will you use, Luci?”

“Oh, I can work with any of those, I’m not picky.”

“What, all of those?” Chloe asks. “Since when are you a blade master, Lucifer?”

“I had a sword, once.” He comments nonchalantly. “Lots of blade drills in the Silver City, and I took them farther than most.”

“You did.”

“Oh, did he.” Maze’s teeth are bared. “Who do you think taught _me_ the finer points?”

“Ah, the student surpassed the master in that arena, Mazikeen.” He chuckles, “You were always much more motivated than I to attain that expertise.”

Chloe looks from devil to demon and struggles to remember to close her dangling jaw. _Maybe I’m a little less worried, now._ Then she remembers the sucking sound of Lucifer pulling Azazel’s blade from his ribs, the heat and tension of the wound before they removed the broken point of the dagger slowly killing him from the inside, and the stillness of him when… _Okay, nope. Still worried. Still really, very, extremely worried._

“Well.” Lucifer looks again at his little family, and attempts to stand. “The sooner we go, the sooner we can return, my darlings. Beatrice, I’m afraid that means you’re going to need to release me.” He rubs her back comfortingly, and she reluctantly pulls away. She stands as he positions himself to lift to his feet and she swiftly darts forward and presses a quick kiss to his cheek before he can move out of range. He lifts his free hand to the spot, frozen in place as he gazes, wide-eyed at the child.

“It’s for luck.” Trixie explains easily.

“Well…” Lucifer seems at a complete loss for words. “I- I thank you, Urchin. Hopefully, we shall not need it, but better to have it than not, hm?” He shifts to his feet, and Chloe moves with him, still unable to release his hand from hers. The steel band around her chest feels like it’s pulling tighter with each passing breath, but she’s struggling to hold a calm demeanor in place, to put on a show of confidence for Trixie. For Lucifer. Who, judging by the look he’s giving her, hasn’t been fooled for a moment.

“Right. I need to refill my flask, and then we can leave.” He moves toward the bar, Chloe gravitating along by his side. Trixie goes to Maze’s side as Amenadiel comes around to give his temporary farewells to Linda and Charlie.

“Darling, I’m going to need both hands for this particular task,” he murmurs quietly, giving her fingers a squeeze before sliding his hand out of her grip. He chooses a bottle seemingly at random and locates a tiny funnel to fill the flask. He continues to speak, his voice soft. “Now, I’d prefer to think of you and the other ladies just enjoying a lazy day around the penthouse, but I know you far too well for that. I do hope that you will take the opportunity to talk with Linda about anything that may be bothering you, and I know I don’t need to ask you to see that she does the same.”

“I- _We_ will.” Her eyes meet his, and again they share that moment of recognition in one another. “And we’ll try to have some fun. Ella will be good for that, I think.”

“Oh yes, I know Ms. Lopez can brighten any room just by walking by it. She is a regular ray of sunshine, that one.” He tops off the flask and fastens the lid with an air of long practiced familiarity. He raises his voice to address everyone in the room. “Now. We’ll be back as soon as we can. Just to be clear, I’m not expecting this to be a long trip, but! If it will be more than a day in Earth-time, can we agree that we’ll send Amenadiel back to give you an update?”

 _“Agreed.”_ Linda and Chloe burst out simultaneously.

“All right, then.” Lucifer tucks the flask in his jacket pocket and claps his hands. “Let’s get a wriggle on!”

As the group migrates toward the balcony, Chloe forces herself not to reach for Lucifer’s hand again. He turns to her and, seeing her frozen expression, offers his elbow to escort her. She gratefully takes it and they move together. She only hesitates a moment at the balcony doors, but of course he feels it, flexing his arm to pull her a tiny bit closer without bringing overt attention to her turmoil. He leans in to whisper into her ear, “Right, now, Detective – I don’t know if you’ll want to let the Offspring see us off entirely. I’m planning on pulling out the, er, _draconic_ wings this time.”

“Lucifer,” Chloe whispers back “You’ve got your white wings now, I’ve seen them! Are you-“

“I’m perfectly fine, Chloe, I promise you that.” He is quick to reassure her, and her name on his lips sends a trickle of calm down her back. “But I don’t want to give any more demons a chance at a free trip topside with my feathers, so the less they manifest down there, the better, hm? If you really want the Urchin to see us off, I’ll simply try to explain as best I can, and hope that she truly is the remarkable creature I believe her to be.”

“Will your face-?”

“No, I won’t need the face, or the rest of it. Just the wings.”

Chloe thinks for a moment about Trixie’s excited reaction to Maze’s “other” face. “I actually think she’ll be fine, but we’ll give her the choice. Okay?”

“As you wish, darling.” They’ve all grouped on the balcony now, ready to depart. “Now. Beatrice, you’ve not seen our wings yet, and I don’t wish to scare you, but your mother believes you are able to make the choice to see us off or not of your own accord. You should know that the wings I will be using are far different from my usual wings, and will be very different from Amenadiel’s.”

“How many wings do you _have?_ ” Trixie asks, awestruck.

“At any given time, just the two. But I can… vary the look a bit. Normally my wings are, well, to quote your mother, _gorgeous_.” He smirks at Chloe for a moment before moving on, “But the ones I’ll be using today will be a bit safer for Hell transport.”

“I want to see them.” Trixie doesn’t hesitate, doesn’t show the slightest sign of fear.

“Very well then. Brother? If you would be so kind as to begin this little sideshow?”

Amenadiel steps back from the group toward the railing and flexes his shoulders, unfurling his stocky, dove-grey wings. Chloe keeps an eye on Trixie’s reactions, but observes his wings a bit better this time- they’re nowhere near as long or as graceful as Lucifer’s, but they fit Amenadiel’s build and steady personality perfectly.

_It just figures that Lucifer’s wings would be all glowy and graceful. Designed for attention, just like the rest of him._

Trixie’s eyes widen and a broad smile steals across her face, but she remains still and moves her eyes to Lucifer, expectant. He sighs and closes his eyes, but Chloe isn’t sure if it’s in concentration, or to avoid seeing their reaction to his appearance.

Lucifer makes a small shrugging motion and the bat-like, leathery red wings she remembers from his crisis point unfold from his back with a sound like sails billowing and snapping in a strong wind. Trixie gasps and Chloe’s eyes dart to her, ready to intercept any ill-thought comments, or to pursue her if she runs.

She runs.

Straight to Lucifer, whose hands are held loosely away from his body, eyes still closed. She flings her arms around his waist and muffles her exclamation against his torso. His eyes pop open in surprise, and they can just barely make out her words “Those are SO COOL!!!” He brings his arms around to embrace this astonishing, extraordinary tiny human, and his laughter is incredulous, full of relief, and infectious.

“All right, Beatrice, I do hope my _normal_ wings aren’t a bit of a let-down for you then, when you finally do get to see them.” He gently disentangles himself from the girl, and she goes to stand between Linda and Chloe. “We’ll see you soon.” Amenadiel scoops up Maze and Lucifer moves to turn away, and Chloe’s hold on her self-control breaks. She launches herself at him, arms wrapping around his neck and lips molding against his. His exclamation of surprise is stifled against her lips, and he staggers back a step at her onslaught before he can respond. Amenadiel, Maze, and Linda exchange a fondly exasperated smile, and Trixie giggles delightedly.

“Yeah, get ‘im Decker!” Maze cheers, and Chloe finally pulls back, forcing her mutinous limbs to release him.

“For luck,” she breathes.

“For luck,” He nods, tightens his arms around her, then steps away, and then the three are gone.

In the stillness following their departure, Charlie starts to cry.


	7. Chapter 7

The hazy blue depths of Hell hold no appeal for Lucifer; they never have. For Maze, however, the thick, sulfuric miasma is _home_. The falling ash caresses her skin like a lover, and she breathes deeply, reveling in the familiar sensation. She slides out of Amenadiel’s grasp, and stands at Lucifer’s right wing – her rightful place as his sentinel. Lucifer has landed them just outside the Dark Palace, and a crowd is starting to form.

“The King is returned!”

“He’s back, the Morning Star is back! He’s brought Mazikeen of the Lilim this time, will he stay?”

Lucifer spreads his leathery wings, stretching them to the lightless sky and the crowd’s cries die down to an awed susurration. He gives the ash settling on his shoulders a disgusted look, and straightens his cuffs.

“ _Hell_ -o, demons.” His eyes briefly flare red. “Have you missed me?”

Nearly as one, the amassed legion drops to one knee, heads bowed in respect. The silence stretches for a tense moment before the Palace doors are thrown open and Cain descends the steps, trailed by an anxious-looking seneschal. When he reaches the courtyard where Lucifer and his escorts stand, he adopts the same posture, waiting for acknowledgement.

“Ah, there’s my Duke!” He turns to Maze in an aside, “You know, it’s really too bad that Daniel already has dibs on “the Douche”… We’ll need to find a fitting nickname for him, Mazikeen.”

Maze doesn’t react to Lucifer’s prattling, her focus is on the kneeling former immortal and the crowd behind him. Honed senses watching for any possibilities of threat or pockets of malcontent.

 _Well, malcontent is a given, we_ are _back in Hell._

But she detects no visible signs of subterfuge, sees no indications of traps waiting to be sprung. She worries for a moment that she may be going soft on Earth and slides a quick glance at Lucifer and Amenadiel. Lucifer is as unruffled as always, but Amendiel appears to agree with her assessment. There is no immediate danger, at least not from this crowd.

"Yes. Well done, everyone, greetings are concluded. Let's get back to work, shall we? The torture won't just complete itself, you know." Lucifer's non-patience for ceremony is legendary, and the courtyard clears much faster than should be possible, even for supernatural beings. Cain stands as the trio approaches him and he gives Maze and Amenadiel a wary glance. 

"Lucifer, you've come in good time. My seneschal was just-"

“Let’s take this inside, shall we? I can catch up on the Indeterminates while you update me on the state of the kingdom, Cain.” Lucifer folds his wings away with a crisp snap, and flows up the stairs to the Palace with long-legged strides. Maze and Amenadiel follow a step behind, with Cain and his seneschal a few paces behind them.

Amenadiel leans slightly toward Maze, “Indeterminates?”

“Souls who haven’t determined their Loop.” She murmurs back. “Lucifer is the only one that can set fitting punishments, so they tend to pile up when he’s away.” The angel gives a small nod.

_It’s probably a good thing that time down here moves so much more quickly than it does on the Earthly plane. With 150,000 people dying daily, at least this way the afterlives have some extra time to get the souls sorted properly. No wonder he’d needed over a century down here after his “vacation” before he was able to even think about his own needs._

Amenadiel knew a little about the day-to-day running of Hell; he’d been covering for Lucifer during his few therapy sessions, after all. Just a year or two (Hell time) here and there. His longest excursion had been the most recent one, where Lucifer had needed the extra time to track down Ella’s wayward brother. Amenadiel had been focused during that time on putting down the rebellion led by Azazel’s legion of demons on the lower security cells- housing souls who were truly only damned by their own guilt, but for things that had been outside their control. Amenadiel had always felt a twinge of sadness about those souls. It felt… _wrong_ to him- that these souls had done nothing truly wrong or evil, but tortured themselves for all their afterlives for events that occurred outside of their control. Lucifer had referred to those souls as the Faultless. But Lucifer had never asked him to look after these Indeterminates – apparently a task that could not be delegated.

They reach Lucifer’s office, with its enormous obsidian desk stacked with what passes for paper in Hell. Amenadiel doesn’t know what it is made from, and honestly doesn’t want to. It’s stiffer than paper, thicker, and has a very unpleasant smell to it. He’s more than a little suspicious it might be sheets of demon skin.

Lucifer sits in his desk chair, and Maze and Amenadiel flank him. Cain and his seneschal stand before the desk, and the real work begins. Lucifer’s nimble mind peruses the lists of the Indeterminates and listens to Cain’s report simultaneously. Some pages he makes notes on and sets aside, others he moves to a smaller stack.

To Amenadiel, most of Cain’s report sounds utterly familiar. It seems to bear no real difference to similar reports he had sat through daily while tending to Lucifer’s kingdom in his stead, which means the kingdom must be running fairly smoothly. One thing he notices, though, is that as Cain’s recitation continues, his seneschal seems more and more anxious. Protocol dictates that his report must wait until the King is apprised of existing business before anyone may speak to new business.

Weeks pass, and finally the litany of trouble-makers and the actions taken to remove them trickles to an end. The stacks that Lucifer adds to are both considerably taller. He slides the smaller of the stacks to Cain. “These will need an interview before I can make a determination.” He gestures to the taller stack, with the notations on them, “These can be seen to immediately, as it sounds like you’ve got everything else well in hand.”

“Yes, sir. My seneschal was just about to give me the new report when we received word of your arrival, Lucifer.”

“Ah, yes.” Lucifer’s gaze fixes on the fidgeting demon. “Hello, Gresvin, I see you’ve done well for yourself.”

“Yes, my King, the Duke has been most-“

“I promise you I do not care, so long as the kingdom is running smoothly.”

“Yes, my King.”

“Report, Gresvin.”

“We- ah- My King, Duke Cain, the Overseer Adin came to me just this morning and informed me that a… a soul has been lost.” The demon cringes as the words escape his lips, and Lucifer’s eyes flare red.

“Explain.” Lucifer's voice is icy, deadly calm.

“The soul was among those the King refers to as ‘The Faultless’. The Overseer reports that this soul was one that had been affected by Azazel’s band of rebels. My King, you yourself visited this soul’s loop afterward. The loop is frozen now, and uninhabited. The soul is nowhere to be found, neither in the loop, nor anywhere in the labyrinth. We are having trouble investigating, it is… painful to enter.”

“You will show me. Now.”

*************************************

The Faultless had always been a sore spot for Lucifer, ever since humanity started showing up and beating down Hell’s gates. Eons ago, when he found the first loops that held no true wrongdoing, he had raged at his Father’s system for weeks. He had tried everything he could think of at the time to make the souls trapped in them realize they were punishing themselves for circumstances beyond their control. After all, the doors aren’t locked. If they could overpower their misplaced guilt, they could be free- even if he never could. It was one of the reasons he had focused his wrath on Azazel’s band- he couldn’t get retribution on his Father for his system, but he could wreak destruction on the demons that abused these tainted innocents.

As he stands outside the familiar door, he can feel it. He exchanges a look at Amenadiel, and knows he hasn’t mistaken it, despite the millenia that have passed since he was last this close to it. Light from the Silver City. Here, in this doorway, in _Hell._ Lucifer pushes open the door, and Amenadiel follows close. Maze hesitates, but powers through the portal into the frozen loop and into a very familiar setting.

Lux.

Not Lux as they left it, but Lux as it started, back when Lucifer had converted it from an underground MMA fighting ring and bar. The frozen surroundings feature Lucifer at the piano, looking fondly at an empty spot to the right of the body, where a singer would typically stand to perform.

Lucifer knows this scene, as does Maze, though only one of them has seen it from inside this loop.

“Who was here, Luci?” Amenadiel asks quietly.

“Delilah,” Lucifer breathes. When he found her here, after Azazel, he had nearly gone mad trying to make her realize what was happening. He had taken the place of his doppelganger in her loop and had some long discussions with her here.

_“You made some mistakes, that’s all, darling.” He had pressed her hand with his, trying to make her see._

_“I’ve done so much wrong. The drugs. I slept with married men. Left another at the altar. Sold my soul to the Devil for a career.”_

_“You were going to turn your life around, my dear, you just… ran out of time.” He sighed. “Your choices were not the only factors at work here. The men made their choices just as you made yours, you cannot allow yourself to feel guilt on their behalf.”_

_“But-“_

_“But, nothing. Delilah, I have mentioned that I really have no desire for souls, not even one as lovely as yours. You do still owe me a debt, however, and I’m holding you to it. I need you think about this very carefully. You need to_ forgive yourself.” _His voice holds that hypnotic magnetism that so many humans have fallen into, giving in to the desires that he pulls forth with so little effort. “You need to do this for yourself, or you will be trapped here forever- and you, my friend, do not deserve… this. You see this door?” he gestures behind him, to the entrance of Lux and she nods, uncertain. “This door is never locked. You can leave at any time, and I promise you will never regret it for a single moment if-_ when _\- you do.” He stands, then, and presses a kiss to her forehead and he allows Delilah’s version of him to make a reappearance as he exits the loop. When he reaches the door, he makes a few, tiny alterations designed to help her see what truly happened, not only what her guilty conscience recalls._

He had returned often, trying tricks he had learned from the good Doctor to try to help Delilah see herself clearly, making tiny adjustments to her loop each time. He had never succeeded before, but he had truly wanted to succeed with _her._

“Brother, I need a favor.” Lucifer’s voice is low, hesitant. Amenadiel looks at him quizzically, response frozen on his lips. “I… think she may have ascended. Can you- would you go to the Silver City and check? Please?”

 _“Ascended?”_ Amenadiel’s eyes widen in shock. “You think she ascended from Hell to Heaven? Luci, that’s not-“

“Possible?” Lucifer interjects. “We know of one who did so. Quite recently, in fact.”

“Charlotte was different, she was able to come back to Earth for a time, to redeem herself, and she saved-“

“Yes, she saved you, I know, and I’m grateful to her- though I’m still sorry for the loss of her life in the effort.” Lucifer sighs. “But Charlotte was not one of the Faultless. Delilah had done no true wrong, her guilt was borne of circumstance, not her own darkness.”

They near the door to the loop, preparing to exit. Maze, who had been conspicuously quiet since entering the loop, suddenly sways on her feet. Lucifer’s attention darts to her in time to see her stagger but before he can catch her, his brother is there, supporting her.

“Maze?”  
“Mazikeen!”

“Luci, what’s wrong with her?”

“Oh, bloody hell, it’s the Silver City residue.” Lucifer’s voice is dripping with loathing. “It’s practically toxic down here, no wonder the other demons find this loop painful. She’s tolerated it this long because she’s had so much, well, _exposure_ to us for so long, but we need to get her _out, now.”_

They push through the door, and Amenadiel feels the resistance as he pulls Maze through the divine residue from the apparent ascension of the former occupant.

“Brother, she can’t be seen to be weak here. You need to take her home.”

“Luci, I can’t leave you here alone-“

“The kingdom is in order, and we both have _work to do_.” Lucifer’s eyes are steely. “If Ascension is truly possible for the Faultless, this is something I _need to do_. You need to get Maze to safety, and _we_ need to find out if Delilah is truly in the Silver City. Will you help me in this, Brother?”

“You won’t stay long?”

“It seems I only need to finish the sentencing of the Indeterminates, and I can meet you back at the penthouse. I may even beat you there.”

“Lucifer, you should-“ Amenadiel is interrupted by a rough groan from the demon clutched in his arms.

“Take her, now. She’ll need a good stiff drink when she gets back, and some rest, which won’t happen willingly. You’ll need to leave for the Silver City before she wakes, or she’ll be on you to bring her right back. I’ll be nearly right behind you. In Hell’s time, of course.”

Amenadiel’s protests are silenced by another pained moan from Mazikeen, and with a last glance at his younger brother, he unfurls his wings and retreats with his precious burden.

Lucifer stands in the falling ash, staring at the familiar door and hoping, _hoping_ he is right.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter involves a Hell loop with an implied child death to save it from further suffering. Just a fair warning.

Charlie’s wail cuts the silence on the balcony, swiftly followed by Linda’s soft shushing. Trixie crosses over to Chloe and wraps her arms around her waist, and Chloe is fairly successful at convincing herself that _this_ departure was much different than the last. Never mind that the result is the same, an empty, Lucifer-less balcony- but _this_ time he has every intention of returning, and he’s got backup.

“C’mon, Trix,” Chloe squeezes her daughter’s shoulders, “let’s make sure The Weaponizer isn’t destroying Lucifer’s guest room on our watch, then maybe we can pick a movie.” The corners Trixie’s mouth curl up in a smile that matches her mother’s, remembering Lucifer’s indignance that their canine charge had been named after action star Kimo Van Zaant.

_“It’s utter codswallop, Detective! That wretched hank of hair has absolutely nothing in common with the Weaponizer!”_

_“No, but he’s pretty sweet, which_ is _a little like Kimo, ya know?”_

His scandalized look had been golden, and she hadn’t been able to resist kissing him.

_Okay, Decker, check on the puppy._

Linda smiles at them as she gently bounces the still-fussing Charlie, and they stealthily crack the door to the guest room open, but Kimo is awake and ready for them, caught in the act of rambunctiously wrestling with the blanket on top of his dog bed. He bounds to the door, his entire body wiggly with joy, and they collapse on the floor to play with him. After about 20 minutes, he starts to lose a bit of steam, and mostly just wants snuggles, so Trixie curls up on his bed and within minutes the two are entwined and deeply asleep. Chloe pulls out her phone and snaps a photo before quietly exiting the room and going to sit with Linda.

Charlie is settled in his area, snoozing hard with the edge of his blanket clutched tightly in one tiny fist and his mother is curled in one of the chairs with a novel.

“Bodice-rippers, Linda?” Chloe huffs a small laugh. “I never would have guessed it of you.”

“We all need an occasional escape, Chloe.” Her smile is sly. “Even if I _do_ occasionally find myself idly analyzing some of the characters’ mental states.”

“It’s hard to turn off the professional brain, I know.” Chloe shakes her head. “Sometimes I feel like the Detective brain is always running in the background, like one of those battery draining apps. But then other times, I feel like it doesn’t work at all.”

“Oooh yes, very familiar with that feeling, thank you.” Linda chuckles to herself. “Try providing therapy for Old Scratch himself for a year before you’re finally convinced he’s not _just_ a very complex patient.”

“Try working with him for nearly 3 before you realize he’s not _just_ an asshole you’ve managed to fall in love with!” She laughs at herself, but it’s bitter. “Then going exactly the wrong direction with that realization, in every possible way.”

“That’s not fair to yourself, Chloe.” Linda places a bookmark and puts her book down. “It’s not as though you could stop off at the self-help section and pick up a copy of ‘So You Just Found Out You’re Dating Satan’ off the shelf.”

“Yeah, I suppose that’s the first part of the ‘So You’re Having an Angel-Baby’ series?” The two women look at each other and burst into laughter.

“Perhaps we should take up writing?” Linda suggests lightly.

“Not a chance.” Chloe shoots back. “Satan is _mine_ , and I’m certainly not going to give anybody else a leg-up.”

“Ooooh, possessive. I like it, Chlo’, it looks good on you.” Linda’s smile feels like a warm embrace. “So, things are going well?”

“As well as we can, I think. We’re working on moving forward and trying not to let past mistakes take up too much space.” Chloe’s hands play with a wrinkle of fabric in her shirt, and she tucks her bottom lip between her teeth.

“That’s a good starting point, Chloe. Acknowledging past mistakes but not letting them dominate the field going forward is a good foundation to rebuild on.” Linda comes to sit next to her, being across the coffee table was starting to feel too formal, too much like her office setting, and today she wants Chloe to be talking to her friend Linda, not a therapist.

“That’s what we-“

A rush of air and the sound of large wings erupts from the balcony, and a swirl of ash drifts in the still-open doors as Amenadiel strides in hurriedly, carrying an unconscious demon in his arms. The two women bolt to their feet, and he lays Maze down on the couch. Chloe notices a thin trickle of blood from her right nostril, but she appears otherwise unharmed. Linda goes to Maze, while Chloe’s eyes are drawn back to the doors, waiting.

“Where’s-“ _A vision of blankly staring chocolate eyes in a still face, body sprawled on a stone floor._

“What happened, Amenadiel?”

“She’ll be fine in a little while, she was just exposed to something- unexpected.” He seems unnerved, restless. “I have to go before she wakes up or I’ll never get away, and I’ve got a task to do-“

“Where’s-“ _Ragged, bloody wings scattered beside him, feathers being ripped from them in handfuls…_

“Why is she-“

“Give her a drink when she wakes, and try to make her rest until the aftereffects pass. I _must_ go to the Silver City to check something, _now_ , Linda.”

 ** _“Where is Lucifer?”_** Chloe can’t breathe, ash seems to be clogging her mouth, her throat, her heart threatening to burst from her chest.

“He’s okay, Chloe, Hell has been running smoothly and nearly all is in order, but we’ve had an unexpected development that must be addressed immediately. I am losing time by remaining here!”

“Go, Amenadiel, we’ll get info from Maze when she wakes.”

“But-“ Her protest is cut off as another rustle of wings is followed a light breeze and the angel is gone.

_He’s okay. Amenadiel says he’s okay. But he’s there alone. Nobody’s watching his back. And Cain-_

“Chloe, can you get me a wet towel?” Linda’s voice pulls her away from her slightly panicky thoughts. “Actually, make it two, please.”

Chloe moves mechanically to the linen closet and chooses two hand towels, wetting them in the sink before wringing them out and returning to Linda and the unconscious demon. Linda takes one, folds it, and places it on Maze’s forehead, and with the other gently wipes away the smudges of ash on her face, and the trickle of drying blood from her nose.

Chloe’s eyes scan Maze’s body thoroughly for other injuries, but come up empty. What could have knocked her out without a discernable injury?

The demon’s eyelids flicker as she groans and the two women, familiar with their friend’s reflexes, retreat a safe distance away as her eyes pop open and her defenses kick in. She takes in her surroundings without blinking, her hand lifting to her face.

“Why am I back here? Where’s Lucifer? Amenadiel?”

“Amenadiel brought you back and said you were suffering from exposure?” Linda hands Maze a glass of vodka, knowing better than to try to offer her water. “He said you should drink, and rest, but he had to leave immediately for Heaven to check on something?”

“Where’s Lucifer?”

“He didn’t come back with you, Amenadiel said he’s okay-“

_“He left him there?”_

Chloe silently agrees, but can’t dwell right at the moment. “What happened, Maze? He didn’t have time to explain anything, just dropped you off and practically ran.”

“Damn right he ran, he knew if I woke up I’d have forced his feathery ass to take me right back to Hell to guard Lucifer’s back.”

“Maze.” Chloe braces both hands on the demon's shoulders. “Focus. What happened to you?”

“The first few weeks were pretty boring, just Cain catching Lucifer up on Hell’s business, Lucifer going through assigning punishments for souls that weren’t able to come up with a loop on their own.”

“Weeks? Maze, you’ve been gone less than an hour-“

“Time difference, remember? We’ve been down there – oh, probably about a month or so.” She shrugs. “Then they got a report of a lost soul- that was something new.”

“I thought Hell was full of lost souls?” Linda asks, confused.

“Well, damned souls anyway, but lost as in, disappeared from their loop. Gone. Not in the loop, not in the labyrinth.”

“Someone… escaped Hell?” Chloe’s trying to follow Maze’s thinking

“No one escapes Hell.” Her eyes are cold. “Not like this, anyway. No one ever has.”

“Has what?”

“This loop was tainted with divinity.” Her eyes are distant and wide. “I’ve never felt it that strong. I mean, a little is always leaching off of Lucifer, and even less from Amenadiel, but this was so pure, concentrated. It burned. On the _inside_.”

“How did divinity wind up inside a cell in Hell?” Chloe wonders.

“Lucifer thinks the soul inside managed to Ascend.” Maze’s eyes narrow as she takes in the baffled expressions of her friends. “The soul inside the loop managed to free themselves of their guilt and got a direct transfer to Heaven. That’s never happened before, in all of history.”

“How is that even possible? I thought Hell was eternal?” Linda interjects, still looking as though she’s trying to wrap her brain around this new development.

“There are.. well, they’re not really levels, but maybe more like categories. You’ve got your Big Baddies, you know their names. Your run-of-the-mill scumbags. Your not-entirely-bad-but-still-belong-in-hell-assholes. Then you’ve got the Indeterminates, and the Faultless. There’s more to it, but those are the basics. The Indeterminates carry a lot of guilt, and can sometimes go either way. Those are the ones that can’t come up with a punishment loop on their own, and Lucifer has to devise one for them. His desire skills really come in handy with those.” She shrugs, then continues. “The Faultless, though- Lucifer has always had a hard time with those.”

“What does that mean? Why are they difficult?” Chloe feels a dawning horror at exactly how Lucifer has been forced to use his desire mojo for eons. Is it any wonder he’s spent so much of his time here exploring the enjoyable side of it? Suddenly Lux makes even more sense.

“The souls themselves aren’t difficult, they typically supply their own loops, like any other soul. But when Lucifer realized that souls were being trapped in Hell for carrying guilt for things that weren’t actually the result of their own free will? He was beyond pissed. The spires shook with his rage.” Her eyes were wide, filled with awe at the memory of the passion the devil had unleashed in his diatribe against his father.

“You’re saying that innocent people get sent to Hell?” Linda is aghast. “How- I thought-“

“They don’t _feel_ innocent.” Maze rolls her eyes at the unreasonableness of human emotion. “They _feel_ guilt, and guilt is drawn to Hell like a magnet. But when Lucifer found out, he worked to mitigate it as well as he could. He designated them the Faultless, and puts them in a separate section of Hell. The loops are still torture, but he tweaks them to include as many good memories as he can. Kind of like minimum security prison here.”

Chloe’s throat closes a bit as her heart swells, knowing Lucifer’s penchant for trying to make life- and apparently, the afterlife- as fair as it can be… when his own has never been fair to him. “So what does- how did _this_ soul manage what no other soul has ever done before?”

“I wasn’t there for part of it, but Lucifer filled me in a bit, and Amenadiel told me a little. After Lucifer got Hell straightened back out and had gotten it functioning normally again, one of the demons got bored and decided he wanted to torture more souls than he was allotted. He gathered a bunch of followers and they staged a raid on the Faultless, torturing a lot of them well beyond what Lucifer had allowed within their loops.”

“Do we want to know what happened to that demon?” Chloe asked grimly.

“You already know. Heavy charring, courtesy of yours truly, followed by a far-too-swift decapitation by our very own King of Hell.” Maze’s smile is cruel, but Chloe can’t deny that the demon had deserved what he got. And apparently not only because he had kidnapped and held Chloe with the intent to do harm to Lucifer himself.

“So Azazel led a torture raid on helpless souls, then used Lucifer’s feather to escape his punishment… then tried to get revenge for being hunted down by kidnapping Jay and me. Not a smart move.”

“Nope.” Maze pops the “p” sound, and a satisfied look settles on her face. “But anyway, after that raid, Lucifer needed to go back over all the loops that had been infiltrated and recalibrate them. He talked to a few of the souls more. He had tried before, way back when he first realized what was going on- tried to talk them out of their guilt, to _show_ them the truth of what had really happened, but guilt warps things and that was all they could really see. It hid the truths from them, so all Lucifer could do was try to make the loops less miserable.”

“What was in this loop, Maze?” Linda asks. She had always been curious what a Hell loop would contain- all Lucifer would ever say is that it was the soul’s worst, most destructive memories or perceptions, usually warped out of all recognition.

“This one was frozen, because the soul was no longer present. We walked in and it was Lux. Lucifer was at the piano.”

“Lux? Whose was it?”

“Delilah’s.”

“Delilah. The singer that was shot outside? When I first met Lucifer?”

“One and the same.”

 _“Delilah_ wound up in Hell?!” Linda cries. She is appalled. Delilah- well, “Penny Lane”- had been her patient. She was a good person who had made some poor decisions. She was working through them, but still had carried a lot of… _Guilt. Oh my G-- uh, yeah. Oh, my._

Trixie emerges from the guest room, yawning, and notices her mother and Linda standing next to the couch. “Is everything okay? I heard- Maze!” She launches herself at the demon, who allows herself to be engulfed in the enthusiastic greeting. “You’re back!! Where’s Lucifer? And Amenadiel?”

“We, uh, had to split up, little human. Amenadiel had to run an errand to Heaven, I needed to come back here for a minute, and Lucifer had work to do in Hell. They’ll both be back shortly.”

“He’s _all by himself?”_

“Yeah, I don’t like it either, Trix, but sometimes things don’t always go to plan.” 

****************** 

_So much for the Grand Plan_ , Lucifer thinks to himself wryly. _Barely a month in, and we’re scattered like stars._

He’s standing outside another familiar door. The very first Faultless he identified, eons ago. He places his palm against the door- no divine light here. He steps through and finds himself in a living loop. Well. Living may be a bit of a stretch. Not much here is alive anymore- a massive wildfire has swept through the grassland, and as far as the eye can see is nothing but blackened earth, charred remains, thick, gritty smoke and ash. Always ash. A woman is huddled in a shallow puddle that had once been home to a fair-sized pond. It was, in fact, the reason she had been able to survive the sweeping fires in the first place, she and her tiny burden. A tiny rocky overhang at the water’s edge that can’t quite be called a cave provided just enough shelter to keep them from burning to death, but the damage was done. The mother’s lungs had been corroded with the heat and the ashy air. She can draw breath, but only just. She won’t be able to walk far enough to find food, or help, and her young child will never be able to survive without her. Lucifer approaches this woman, as he has countless times before, and allows her to see him. He speaks in her tongue, and she responds in a raspy, damaged voice that can barely escape her lips.

“You don’t have long to wait.”

“No, it will be soon.” Her voice rattles from her like dried pebbles tumbling down a cliff face. The baby’s hands reach up and tangle in her hair, tugging gently. “Please. Will you take her?”

Lucifer regards the woman kindly. “I cannot. The decision you must make is not painless. But I hope I can help you make the right one.” And as much as he is trying not to, he _does_ have hope. He never understood, before. How a person can love another so much as to wish to give up one’s existence for that person. How sacrifice must sometimes be made to prevent even greater suffering. How those emotional bonds can create such a dragging weight on one’s heart, and yet at times make one feel as though they could fly.

The woman’s face crumples, but she nods as though she expects the answer. “There is no one else.”

“No. There is only one way you can help her now.”

Her face falls even further, though she is too exhausted to sob. “Who are you?”

“I want to help you. But the only way I think I can help you is to _show_ you what would happen if you do not make this choice. It will not be pleasant. It will feel like torture. It will likely feel like it lasts an eternity. But I hope it will help you see that you truly have no other choice-“ Lucifer reaches out on impulse and squeezes the woman’s hand, “-and I hope… I hope it will allow you to forgive yourself. Your child is already in the Silver City, and beyond my aid. Will you allow me to try to help you?”

The woman’s brow furrows in confusion, but nods her assent. Lucifer squeezes her hand again and heaves a relieved sigh. He closes his eyes, and alters the loop to show the many, many terrible fates that could befall a lone child too young to care for itself in an inhospitable landscape. He whispers a blessing to the woman in her own tongue and slips from the loop as it resets, finding himself back in the labyrinthine passageway.

 _No way out but through_ , he thinks to himself, spreading his leathery wings and retreating back to the Dark Palace to sort through more Indeterminates.

Six months later his stack is caught up, and he has made visits to many more Faultless loops. He has many mental notes of things to ask Linda about when he gets back, people that he has no idea how to help, but hopes Linda can give him some ideas. Even some of the Indeterminate interviews he’s needed to conduct have been ones that could potentially Ascend, and his assigned loops reflect the path he hopes to influence them on. He calls his Duke to his office to apprise him, and deliver his final advisements before he prepares to depart.

“Lucifer, you’re not worried that the demons will uprise over losing souls in their charge?”

“Not particularly,” he responds cheerily. “First of all, that’s part of why you’re here, to nip that kind of behavior in the bud. Second, the demons in charge of these areas are _bored_. They never get to do any real torturing, not the like the ones assigned to the truly guilty sections of Hell. If we can make the Faultless section smaller, less demons would need to be on patrol there, and could be reassigned to far more interesting places. This should actually work in everyone’s favor if we spin it correctly. Same for the Indeterminates.”

Cain thinks about this for a moment, then cedes the point.

“Now, before I go, do you have anything further that needs attention?”

“Only that there’s another cell in the Faultless region that seems to be garnering divinity. Overseer Adin reported it this morning.”

“Excellent! I’ll stop there on my way out, then. Here is the last of the Indeterminates, I trust you will see their loops set to my satisfaction. If there’s nothing else, you are dismissed.”

Cain gives a bow and retreats from the room. Lucifer gives the desk a final scan, unfurls his draconic wings once more and takes flight for the cell he hopes is his target. He can feel the divinity, faint for now, but glowing with the white heat of Heaven nonetheless. It centers around the woman’s cell, and Lucifer doesn’t dare go inside to check her progress. He doesn’t want to upset the process that is clearly happening inside. He smiles to himself as he rests his tingling hand against the softly glowing door. Adin stands diffidently nearby, but out of the influence of the glow.

“No investigation will be necessary here, Adin, if this soul disappears. With any good fortune, as the Faultless burden is lessened, you and the others assigned here will be able to take on more… _interesting_ duties elsewhere. I know this is hardly a coveted patrol for you.”

“Your concern for us is appreciated, Great King.” The demon bows deeply, completely missing the distasteful expression that flickers across Lucifer’s face at the use of the title. “We will keep the Duke informed of any further developments.”

“See that you do. Also, I have a further assignment for anyone who may be interested. I have visited many of these loops personally, and have set them on what I hope to be appropriate paths. If anyone has the time and inclination – have them observe other loops here, and make notes regarding the occupants. I will need that information when I return if I am to succeed in lessening your burden here.”

“Yes, my King.” Adin’s eyes widen in surprise as this delegation of such an important task. “I have several who are intelligent enough to be of help in that assignment, I think.”

“Excellent. Just make sure to make it clear that there is to be _no torture_ involved. Observation only, on pain of total eradication by yours truly… eventually.”

The demon nods sagely, he would expect no less from his King.

Lucifer nods in return, and launches into the stagnant air of Hell.

_I’m coming, Detective._

_*******************************************_

Amenadiel sweeps past the gates of the Silver City, and arrows straight to the large auditorium where new arrivals congregate to await the welcome speech. Uriel used to perform this task, but Amenadiel realizes now that he doesn’t know which of siblings it was assigned to after Uriel’s unprecedented demise. He makes a low circle and sees a surprising tow-headed figure at the head of the crowd.

“Gabriel?”

“Amenadiel!” The archangel’s blue eyes light up in recognition and relief at seeing his Eldest brother so unexpectedly. “We’ve had the most exciting development!”

“Yes, I… think I may be aware.” He lands next to his younger brother and flicks his wings to settle smoothly against his back. “A new arrival from Hell?”

“Yes!” Gabriel’s eyes widen happily as a grin spreads across his expressive face. “Unprecidented! She is sequestered with Michael and Raphael as we speak!”

“I need to speak with that soul, Gabriel. I’ve just come from Hell at Lucifer’s request. Now that I know for certain she really has ascended, he will need to know as much about _how_ she ascended as possible. He will want to apply it to other cases in Hell.”

“Why would _Lucifer_ care about an Ascension?” Gabriel’s face contracts in confusion. “Other than to prevent it from happening again, surely? It’s nothing short of a miracle that this poor soul escaped him!”

Amenadiel draws back, thrown off guard at Gabriel’s misunderstanding of their brother.

_I forget just how isolated those who don’t leave the Silver City are. They don’t know Lucifer’s true nature, the changes he’s undertaken._

“No, brother, that’s not the case.” He presses a large hand against Gabriel’s slight shoulder. “Lucifer is not evil, Gabriel, far from it. He _punishes_ evil, it’s true, but it does not make him so. I thought so, for a long time. Much to my shame now. This soul was even a friend of Lucifer’s in life, and was in Hell due to guilt resulting from no real wrongdoing on her own part. Lucifer had been working within her punishment loop to try to make her see – and I need to find out how it worked so he may be able to repeat that success.”

“You’re- you’re saying she is an innocent?” His brother’s brows contract in consternation. “How does an innocent wind up in Hell?”

“Humans are complex creatures, Brother.” Amenadiel smiles fondly, chuckling a bit at the understatement. “They feel guilt for circumstances outside their control quite often, and guilt can easily drag an otherwise innocent soul into Hell. It’s a glitch that has long vexed our brother, but he has been unable to work out a remedy- until now, perhaps.”

“Lucifer was… helping this woman?”

“Yes, Gabriel.” Amenadiel nods solemnly. “He tried to help her in life, but she was killed by another human before she could resolve her own guilt. Lucifer helped human law enforcement find her killer and brought him to justice… in a fashion.”

“I knew he was on Earth, but… I thought he was just debauching as usual. I knew he had managed to trick his way out of your attempts to return him to Hell, but- Uriel!”

“Lucifer has done a _lot_ of good on the Earthly plane over the past few Earthly years, brother. Uriel was unhinged. I tried to talk with him myself, but he would not listen, and was bent on wiping Mom from existence and killing Father’s Miracle. Lucifer had no real choice in what he had to do, and it has affected him deeply. He was never evil, Gabriel, but he has matured quite a lot, and I’ve come to know him as he truly is rather than how I believed him to be. We have become… close. He has sacrificed much to keep Earth safe. Are you all right, Brother?”

Gabriel had reached out to grasp Amenadiel’s shoulder for support, his face going slightly pale.

“Amenadiel- if what you say is true then I have misjudged our brother greatly!” His eyes are narrowed, conflicted. “Are you sure that he has not merely influenced you while your powers were absent?”

“I am certain, Gabriel. Even if I were not certain, my wings have been returned to me for a long while now, and I would not be susceptible to his influence with the return of their Grace.” He gives his brother a sad smile. “We have all been guilty of judging him harshly. Maybe once it was a fitting judgment, but no more. He is my brother, and I am working to prove myself worthy of claiming him as such.”

Gabriel’s expression clears and his hand squeezes Amenadiel’s shoulder before releasing him. “You have given me much to think on, Brother. I will take you to the ascended soul.”

Gabriel unfurls his cream-colored wings, banded with glimmering gold stripes and takes flight over the City. Amenadiel spreads his own dove-grey wings and follows a beat behind. The gathered souls below lift their faces to watch the two angels soaring away, and murmur together.


	9. Chapter 9

Maze had drifted off to sleep again, curling up with Trixie after muttering something about “resting my eyes”, and Chloe and Linda had retreated to the balcony to avoid disturbing them.

“It’s actually going very well,” Linda was saying, responding to Chloe’s query on how co-parenting with an angel was working out. “Amenadiel is trying hard to learn about the human things that Charlie needs, but it’s a work in progress. He took him _flying_ the other day… without a safety harness! And couldn’t understand why I was upset!”

Chloe’s eyes widen, and she presses her lips together to suppress a chuckle. It reminds her so much of Lucifer’s befuddlement when she flatly refused to let him teach her 8-year-old daughter to drive his Corvette.

_“But Detective, the safety harness is perfectly serviceable, and my reflexes are good enough to avoid any true disasters…”_

_“No, Lucifer. She can’t even see over the wheel. No. Just… no. Not ‘til she’s 15, at least.”_

_“Very well, Detective. I shall have to find another way to fulfill my debt.”_

“And how are things… other than parenting?” Chloe pries a bit. Lucifer had seemed to think Linda needed a friend to talk to.

“He’s a very considerate roommate, and is great about getting to Charlie in the middle of the night, since angels don’t need as much sleep as we do.”

“That’s not what I’m asking, Linda.”

“I know.” The other woman sighs. “We haven’t- there’s nothing else to talk about right now. We’ve finally reached a balance with Charlie, and Maze, and honestly I’m afraid to upset the apple cart.”

Chloe nods. It’s a lot to factor in. “But… do you want there to be something else?”

“I’m… I’m not sure, Chloe. I care about him, deeply. But I know how badly we hurt Maze when we got together without telling her first. I don’t want to open that wound again, but… it _is_ hard having him around nearly all the time, and- and _not_ having him. Does that make sense?”

“Linda, do you realize who you’re talking to?” Both women share a raised eyebrow and collapse into one another’s shoulders in helpless laughter.

“Lucifer said something to me once, back when we first started working together…” She adopts her terrible version of his accent and raises her chin in the air, as though looking down on someone, “ _This love thing makes you all quite stupid, doesn't it?”_ She snickers a little, throwing an arm around Linda’s shoulder. “He wasn’t wrong. And I think he’s found that angels aren’t exactly immune to that.”

“They are not.” Linda takes a deep breath. “You seemed… really worked up when Amenadiel and Maze arrived without him. Even after Amenadiel told you he was okay.” Chloe nods, silent. “Are things okay with you two? Do you want to talk about it?”

“It’s- I just had a nightmare last night. After I found out he was going back today, I asked him to stay with me. We can barely stand to be apart more than a few hours right now, Linda. Every time he has to leave, or I do, it’s like I can barely breathe until we’re together again. He takes the air with him when he goes.”

“It’s only been a few days since he’s returned, Chloe. You both need some time to adjust, and that feeling of needing to be together is not out of the realm of normal for people that share such a close bond.” Linda nods against her shoulder. “It will get better. You’ll see.” They are quiet for a moment, before prying a bit herself. “So, he stayed with you last night?”

She feels Chloe shift in her seat, and tries to suppress her smile.

“It’s not… quite… what you think.” Chloe smirks. “We just.. we haven’t slept apart since he’s been back. I can’t- it hurts to think about being apart that long.”

“But you haven’t-“

“No. Not like… No.”

“Aha.” Now Linda doesn’t bother to fight he smile, she glances up and catches Chloe’s cherry-red cheeks and bursts out laughing again. “It’s okay, Chloe. _I_ know what he’s like.”

“No, Linda- he’s been-“

“I know, _I know_ Chloe, it’s okay.” She reins in her laughter and comforts her distressed friend. “You don’t have to tell me what you have, or have not done. You’re two consenting adults that love each other, and that’s quite literally _all that matters_.” She feels Chloe relax against her, and wraps an arm around her waist. The two friends sit there on the balcony, taking comfort in each other’s companionable silence as the sun starts to shift toward early afternoon. A slight breeze kicks up and brushes past them, followed quickly by an incredibly welcome voice.

“Bloody hell, I leave for a morning, and you use the penthouse to host a… _cuddle party?_ ” She can hear the exhaustion behind the teasing tone as she launches herself off the chaise into Lucifer’s arms. He folds his wings away as he catches her, holds her close. He buries his face in the hair below her ear and whispers, “I know I said to have fun, Detective, but really-“

“Lucifer?”

“Yes?”

“Shut _up_.” She presses her lips to his, and feels his heart pounding against hers as they hold each other tight. Her hands move from his face, down his neck and shoulders, checking for any injuries and finds nothing but the thrill of having him back again. She finally pulls away, stretching up to rest her forehead against his and whispers against his cheek, “How long?”

His hands stroke warm lines along her back, and he rests his chin on top of her head. He smells of ash and heat, but she can still detect his own crisp scent underneath. “About 7 months, all told. Mostly routine, except for Maze’s little almost-poisoning escapade.”

“Poisoning? She told us it was divinity?”

“Yes, well, Silver City levels of divinity in Hell, even just residual traces… to a denizen of Hell it can certainly act as a toxin. Maze has more tolerance than most, due to eons of close association with me, and more recently with Amenadiel as well. I noticed the Urchin and her curled up on my settee, so I suppose she's already awakened, and your devious offspring found a way to coerce her to rest."

"That's... Pretty much it, yeah."

"And my brother?"

"Left for Heaven as soon as dropped Maze off." 

"Ha. I told him I'd beat him back. The Silver City moves at a glacial pace at the best of times. Throw in an ascended soul and they'll be moving backwards for an eon." He pats Chloe's back lightly, and she realizes she's clinging to him tightly. She manages to loosen her fingers, then her arms, but neither of them seems to want to pull away entirely.

She casts a glance at Linda who is smiling widely as she takes them in. 

"How about I order us some lunch, and then Lucifer can tell us a bit more about this Ascension situation?"

"Brilliant plan, Doctor! I am utterly famished! Whatever you like, charge it to me of course."

"Of course," she throws the remark over her shoulder as she goes inside to ostensibly place the lunch order, but primarily to give the couple some privacy.

Chloe buries her face in Lucifer's chest, and fights the sob of relief that's trying to battle it's its way free. She feels his chuckle rumble in his chest against her.

"It's all right, love, all told it was a very smooth visit. No dismemberment, no uprisings, all quite bland really."

"When they came back and you weren't there..." Her voice is muffled by his shoulder, "I thought... My nightmare."

The chuckle dies, and his arms tighten around her. "You never did tell me what you dreamed about."

"It was- here, today. You left, and then Amenadiel and Maze came back and Maze was shredded and unconscious and Amenadiel said he couldn't save you, and they... They-"

"Okay." He murmurs in her ear, "It's okay Chloe, I'm so sorry how that must have looked to you when they arrived without me."

"It's not your fault." She mumbles against his chest, sliding her arms under his jacket and digging her fingers into the fabric of his shirt covering his back.

"Nevertheless, I regret causing you that pain." He tips her chin back so he can see her face, and his smile warms some of the exhaustion from his eyes. "Now. I need a shower to rinse the Hell residue away, and I know better than to ask you to join me with company nearby." He lifts an eyebrow in challenge, but she doesn't disagree with his assessment. "Go keep the good Doctor company, and I'll be quick as I may about it, hm?"

The corner of her mouth turns up, and she pulls him down for another lingering kiss before she releases him with a whispered promise of "Later."

His delighted smile warms her all the way to the bar top where Linda is placing their order for Thai.

Twenty minutes later, lunch arrives (Oh, the miracles the name Morningstar can produce!), and 10 minutes after that, Lucifer emerges from his closet, fastening the final button of his pristine white shirt. He's forgone the waistcoat and jacket for now, and Chloe's eyes gravitate to the delineated musculature she can make out beneath the expensive cotton before she pulls them forcibly away.

Lucifer seems blissfully unaware of her scrutiny, as he starts pulling containers toward him and dishing out bits of this and that in a neat assortment on his plate. Chloe and Linda follow suit, having held off opening the containers until his arrival to keep them warm.

"How long has Maze been back?" He asks around a mouthful of Pad Thai.

"Amenadiel brought her back about 3 hours ago," Linda answers, while Chloe chews her mouthful and nods. "She woke up shortly after, gave us some info, then passed out again."

"Yes, that's not surprising. She should recover quickly enough." He eats economically, but he's clearly ravenous. Chloe surreptitiously nudges the containers a bit closer to him.

"So what can you tell us about Delilah and the new situation?" Linda asks. Maze told us a little about Ascension, but didn't have many details."

"That would be because it's never happened before. Delilah would be the first." His face is glowing with satisfaction, but underneath is a tinge of regret. 

"Okay, let's start with the- Faultless?" Chloe asks, and Lucifer nods. "What can you tell us about them?"

"It seems to be a... Glitch, for lack of a better term. I discovered it eons ago back when humans were first starting to pour in." His eyes darken and go distant, his mouth pulling down. "Souls that experience terrible things, or sometimes not even terrible things, but feel crushing guilt for something outside of their control. An EMT that's too late to save a young mother from a mangled vehicle, a busy pet owner who failed to notice her dog was sick until it was too late to treat." He swallows reflexively, "A mother that barely survives a natural disaster but is too injured and weak to seek help for her child before she dies, so has to make a terrible choice."

Chloe's mouth goes dry, and she suddenly has trouble swallowing her mouthful of food. 

"I was furious when I found these loops, these souls. They did nothing to deserve punishment for all eternity, nothing to warrant the pain they were putting themselves through. So, through the centuries, I found them, moved them all to a single location and personally reset their loops."

"What did you do with their loops, Lucifer?" Linda asks, when it's clear he doesn't intend to continue that line of thought. 

"I... I tried to talk to them, to reason with them at first, but not one of them would listen. So, in an attempt to minimize suffering, I would reset the loops to contain at least as many happy memories as the warped guilt related ones." He casts his eyes down to the countertop. "I don't know if it helped, or made it worse, but there didn't seem to be a better answer." His tone is nearly pleading now, but he doesn't care. He needs his friends to understand that he did try to help. Chloe sidles over and wraps an arm around his waist, and Linda reaches out to cover his hand with her own, applying gentle, reassuring pressure. The warmth of their wordless support gives him the strength to continue. "When I went back to Hell, I found Delilah there. I tried to talk to her, but just like the others, I couldn't quite get through. So, when I altered her loop, I added... Well. I added _you_ , Doctor."

Linda's face drains of blood. "You... You put _me_ in her Hell loop?"

"Well, obviously not _you_ , but I knew you were Delilah's therapist, so I made a facsimile of you and added therapy to her loop. I loaded it with all the pieces of wisdom I could remember from my years with you, and took a few conversations from her own memories as well, in hopes that maybe it would help her over time. I... I think it worked. I think _you_ helped her break free, Doctor!" His eyes are shining as he turns his hand up and gently grips hers.

"No. No, Lucifer, that was all you. And it was brilliant!" Her own eyes have tears in them, and Chloe can feel tears pricking at hers, as well. 

"So, one way or another, Delilah stopped feeling guilty about what had gone on in her life, and was able to escape Hell and enter Heaven?" Chloe clarifies.

"It would appear so, Detective, though that's exactly what I sent Amenadiel to verify. Once he returns, we'll know for sure." He takes another mouthful of food and chews quickly. He continues, hesitant, "I worked on several more loops after we realized what happened with Delilah, and I think another was coming close to Ascension just as I was leaving."

"Another one? What was the circumstance there?" Linda asks quietly.

"The mother, with the natural disaster." His voice is barely a whisper. "She's the first Faultless I identified; she has been in Hell for eons, and I was powerless to help her."

"How did you help her this time, Lucifer?"

"I... Before, I could never understand _why_ she felt such guilt. Obviously she didn't set the fire, she had tried to save her offspring, she'd simply had rotten luck and died of it herself! She had been merciful with the small human, and I couldn't understand why she felt so much _guilt_ for that mercy." Chloe feels a tremor travel through his body, close against hers, and lets her hand rub soothing paths across his shoulders. "When I visited again, after Delilah, I could... I could understand what it means to love someone so much that you would give up anything for their well-being. To... not feel worthy of upholding that trust placed in you, that love gifted to you. To carry that weight with you is a great burden, and a greater benediction." He leans his weight into Chloe as he speaks, his gaze fixed firmly on his nearly empty plate. "So, I spoke with her. I told her as much, and asked her permission to help her free herself. I told it would feel like torture, and would seem to last an eternity, but that I thought it may help her. She agreed, and I... I showed her all the things that could have happened, had she not performed that small act of mercy. That became her loop." His voice is breaking at the end, and Chloe sees a single crystal drop of liquid shatter on his plate as he quickly stands and moves to take his plate to the sink. His voice resumes a somewhat forced cheer as he continues, "But the divinity residue was starting to gather at her door as I was leaving, so I have high hopes that by the time I return she'll be long gone, and officially welcomed in the Silver City."

"Lucifer." Linda approaches him from behind and places her tiny hand on his broad, hunched shoulder.

"I know, it was-"

"It was a difficult, painful decision. And I am _so proud of you_."

"The only way out is through, Doctor. You have to feel the pain to release it, right?" His brittle smile disappears as his friend and therapist wraps him in a healing hug. His tall frame folds around her, and she can feel him shaking with the effort of holding together.

Chloe leans against the kitchen cabinet, heart welling with love and compassion for this man, this angel painted so darkly by those who don't know the first thing about him. 

_He was trying to help those souls eons before he came to LA._

She remembers their Wobble case together.

_"No one chooses to be a sin eather, detective. No one wants to be custodian of the world's filth. Why would they?"_

_"People don't arrive broken. They start with passion and yearning till something comes along that disabuses them of these notions."_

She can see now, why he had defended the screeners so vehemently.

They stand in their embrace for a long moment before Lucifer straightens with a small sniff, his reddened eyes catching Chloe's, and she smiles at him. The corner of his mouth twitches up in response, understanding from her supporting presence that she is not judging him harshly for his actions.

"Well! Any more questions, ladies, while we're waiting for Sleeping Maze-y to awaken, and my dear brother to return?"

Neither of them is willing to push him any further at the moment, and Charlie, as if on cue, starts to fuss from the playpen. Lucifer regards it suspiciously, then his gaze travels back to his guest room as if remembering the tiny hairy burden contained within it. "Has the hellhound been tended lately, Detective?" he asks with careful nonchalance.

She chuckles softly. "Your room is intact, Lucifer. He gutted one of his stuffed toys, but your furniture, walls, and MARBLE floor are unharmed by the 6-pound fearsome 'hellhound'."

He raises an eyebrow at her tone, but gives her a melting smile in return for the teasing. Linda picks up Charlie and shushes him, bringing him back to where the couple is standing. 

"I need to get him a bottle, here, can you hold him for a moment?" 

Linda presses Charlie into Lucifer's stunned arms and breezes past him into the kitchen, completely ignoring his squeak of dismay. Lucifer looks at Chloe, panicked, and tries to hand over his nephew, but Chloe laughs and steps back. "Sorry, Uncle Lucifer, it comes with the familial territory. He trusts you to keep him safe, look, he likes you."

Lucifer's eyes drop to the tiny bundle in his arms, who has stopped fussing and is looking up at him with wide, brown eyes. Lucifer stares right back with his own set, and scoffs at the angel baby. "Of course he does. What's not to like?"

Chloe scoffs back playfully, wondering if Lucifer is distracted enough for her to sneak a photo. He cranes his neck to look after Linda and she seizes her opportunity, positioning the phone to be ready when he turns back to face the baby aaaaaand _snap_.

His head flicks toward her at the sound of the shutter, and the outraged, unspoken accusation in his expression is enough to cause a loud bark of laughter to erupt from her.

"Do you see what you have to look forward to, nephew? Beware the female species. Even the ones that are worth the effort are rather difficult to live with." He lifts an eyebrow and offers a sly smile to the infant, and Chloe snaps a second photo, much to his dismay. She giggles at his protestations until she snorts, and then they're both laughing which causes Charlie to cackle shrilly, which in turn wakes Maze and Trixie from their nap. 

Maze is still somewhat muzzy-headed, but Trixie darts up with her typical "Lucifer!!!" exclamation and attaches herself to her friend's abdomen.

"Gah!" His exhaled protest sends Chloe into further gales of laughter, and she manages to snap several more protesting photos of her partner entangled in not one, but two children.

She will never let him live this down. _Never_.

***********************

Gabriel flares his gilded wings and lands with a flourish in front of the interview hall, and Amenadiel drifts down stolidly beside him.

The dark-skinned angel looks at the opulence and shining light all around him, and his heart sinks at the sheer contrast between this and the surroundings that Lucifer has been subjected to for millennia, except for his brief forays into humanity. 

_Brief. Because of me._

He shakes himself free of that thought for now, needing to focus instead on what lies ahead. "Thank you Gabriel. It was good of you to guide me here."

"Of course, brother. I will... I will give thought to what you have said regarding our fallen brother. Thank you, for your insight."

Amenadiel gives his brother a surprised smile, and lifts his hand in a farewell gesture as he lifts his wings and flies away, back to his temporary duties as Official Greeter of Heaven.

Amenadiel approaches the arched doorway and passes through it without a challenge from the sentry. He finds himself in a well-lit white-walled chamber with Earth toned accents, including the furniture. 

_Raphael's office, then_ , he thinks to himself, Michael has always preferred silver and white.

Delilah sits in a chair chatting with the two archangels sitting a friendly distance away. They all look up at his entrance.

"Brothers." Amenadiel greets solemnly. "I hope to have a word with the soul you are interviewing." He gives Delilah a warm smile that she returns readily.

"Of course," Raphael answers graciously, though Michael looks a bit annoyed at the interruption. With his sandy hair and hazel eyes, a casual observer would probably have classified Raphael as a surfer. "Please, sit." He turns back to the woman before them and addresses her. "This is our Eldest brother, Amenadiel. He has resided on Earth for the past few years."

"Hello Delilah, I am pleased to meet you. I bring you regards from Lucifer." He notices his brothers tense at the mention of their fallen brother, but Delilah's eyes light up with recognition.

"Lucifer helped me get here, didn't he." It's not a question. She leans in toward Amenadiel as though bestowing a confidence. "I remember him coming to talk with me, trying to convince me to let go of the guilt. You know, when I was alive he helped me get my career up and running? Then, when I let it all fall apart, all he asked me in return was for me to pull myself together... He said I was wasting my talent," Her voice trembles with emotion as she continues, "but I never got a chance to."

"Do you know what he did, to help you?" Out of the corner of his eye, he sees his brothers exchange a look of disbelief.

"It's... It's pretty fuzzy, honestly. I remember he said he was holding me to my word, that I would pull myself together but it wouldn't be easy. And then, everything around me changed. It started off as all the horrible things that had happened, things I did that led to them, even though I didn't mean for them to... But, after he came to talk to me it got clearer. Better. Easier to see other viewpoints, not just what I thought had happened, but what _actually_ happened. And, my therapist was there, and she helped me see those things too."

"Your therapist?"

"Oh, yes, Dr. Linda Martin, she's amazing."

Amenadiel chuckles at her enthusiasm. "I agree entirely, Delilah, she is... Beyond amazing."

"You know her?"

"Oh, yes. We are... Friends." His smile is soft, and the observant woman before him doesn't miss that expression.

"Friends." She teases. "Mmhm."

Amenadiel clears his throat and moves the conversation on.

"What happened with your loop, Delilah? When you let the guilt go?"

"I was... Singing. At Lux. Lucifer was playing the piano and he was just looking at me like he was so proud he could burst with it. And I realized, I'd made some bad choices. But. I didn't have any control over what other people in my life decided to do. So, why was I feeling guilty for things I didn't have any control over? It was like... The weight of the world lifted right off my shoulders. The music stopped, everything froze in place like time stopped around me, and the door started _glowing_. I remembered Lucifer telling me it wasn't locked, that I could leave anytime I wanted, so, I opened the door."

"And you found yourself here."

"And wound up here chatting with these gentlemen."

"Well, Delilah." Amenadiel stands and gives her a slight bow. "Thank you for speaking with me. Please allow me to add my welcome to the Silver City. Once you have been introduced to the city proper, you might want to find a soul by the name of Charlotte Richards. She is a good friend of mine, and Lucifer's as well, and I know she would be pleased to make your acquaintance."

Her smile dances across her face. "Lucifer has friends here?" 

Amenadiel smiles at her, "He has a few. There is also a Father Frank Lawrence who would be happy to discuss him with you."

"I'll never get to thank him, will I?" Her smile fades a bit. 

"You already have, Delilah, by letting go of your guilt and getting yourself to where you belong. Lucifer never wanted to see you in Hell. But no, to answer your question, he is not permitted to enter the Silver City."

"Will you... Can I ask you to take him a message? Will you tell him I remember what he did. I remember everything he told me, and I believe him now. And... And thank him for me?"

"This I will happily do, and he will be delighted to know you remember him fondly. Be well, Delilah. Enjoy your well-earned reward. Brothers." He nods to the two archangels and turns to exit the room, hearing them request a pause for their own audience to speak with him before they follow him out to the courtyard.

"Amenadiel." Raphael's low voice calls out. "What is this drivel about Lucifer helping this soul ascend?"

"It is truth, brother." He fights not to let his expression sour at his brother's derogatory tone. "Lucifer discovered eons ago that souls were winding up in Hell despite having performed no evil acts of their own. He had tried to help them through the years but had been unsuccessful."

"And how has Samael been torturing these souls throughout the millennia?" Michael's flat voice interrupts. Amenadiel turns to him, hiding his outrage behind a mask of indifference. It is hard to look at Michael, Lucifer's twin in all but 3 features, his stark black wings, his cold eyes, and his injury, resulting in his posture taking a crooked cant to his shoulders. Where Lucifer literally burns with light and warmth, Michael burns with darkness, and cold. 

"Lucifer has put these souls off-limits for torture from the denizens of Hell. In fact, a little while ago a demon led an incursion against those very souls and Lucifer's first priority was to hunt down every last member of that raid and erase them from existence." Michael's expression remains blank, but Raphael's becomes thoughtful. 

"And the ridiculous notion that Samael is helping those on Earth?" Michael sneers.

"Lucifer," Amenadiel repeats with slight emphasis, "has been helping human law enforcement for several years now, and also helped Charlotte redeem herself to gain access to the Silver City when she perished defending my life from Cain. He _also_ managed to help avoid not only the destruction of Earth, but also Mom bringing war to the very Gates of Heaven by convincing her to go start her very own universe."

"And killed our brother Uriel in the process."

"Brothers, I tried to reason with Uriel when he first appeared on Earth. He was beyond listening and reason. He was bent on erasing Mom from existence, and had also decided to kill Father's Miracle because of her importance to Lucifer. We had no way to return Mom to Hell, neither of us had wings at that point to transport her, even assuming she would have been willing to go."

Michael gives a dissatisfied grunt, and Raphael places a calming hand on his good shoulder.

"Do you need anything further? I need to bring this information to Lucifer so that we can see if other souls can attain Ascension."

"We will not keep you from your errand, brother. It is good to see you, you should not go so long between visits." Raphael gives him a tight smile, his hand tightening on Michael's shoulder, and they both turn back to continue their interview with the unique soul from Hell.

Amenadiel unfurls his wings, and heaves a sigh of relief as they carry him away from his heavenly siblings, back to his _family_.


	10. Chapter 10

Amenadiel alights quietly on the balcony and a slow smile spreads across his face as he is greeted by the sounds of happy laughter. He moves stealthily to see the lively scene playing out in the penthouse. Chloe is bent double, snapping photos with her phone and holding her stomach as peals of laughter escape her. Trixie is attached to Lucifer’s hip, gripping tight to his waist as Old Scratch himself carefully cradles his nephew, protesting vehemently all the while. Amenadiel catches sight of Linda in the kitchen, gently shaking a bottle and chuckling to herself, and Maze is smirking from her vantage point reclined on the settee.

_If my brothers in Heaven could see this… they could never think him evil._

Amenadiel furls his wings away, and sidles through the balcony doors. Lucifer hails him with relief.

“Brother!” he cries somewhat desperately, “Come retrieve your spawn! Not one of these women has a shred of decency among them, I swear to Dad!”

Amenadiel’s smile widens, and he pretends to consider… but in the end he has mercy on his brother and accepts his son into his own arms. Charlie’s shrieks of laughter are slowly calming into happy burbles and hiccups, and Amenadiel grins at his brother, nudging him with his shoulder.

“Demons and determining loops aren’t a problem, but children are a whole new realm, eh brother?”

“Understatement of the millennia, brother.” Lucifer mumbles under his breath as he tries to extricate himself from the tenacious 11-year-old still clinging and giggling. Chloe is finally managing to suck in a sustaining breath, and is massaging her stomach as though it were starting to cramp. Amenadiel has the feeling they had all needed the release that the laughter brought. He spies the Thai containers.

“Did you save me any food?”

Linda plops some freshly warmed containers on the countertop with utensils and a plate.

“Of course. Don’t think I haven’t forgotten how you sulked the last time you didn’t get any Pad Krapow Moo Saap. I got you your very own container. _And_ there’s leftover Pad Thai.” She grins as Amenadiel’s face lights up.

“I call dibs on the Pad Thai, somebody bring it to me.” Maze calls imperiously from the couch.

“Urchin, why don’t you bring Maze the Pad Thai?” Lucifer wheedles. 

The little pixie grins up at him with sparkling eyes, squeezes tighter then has mercy and lets him go. He breathes a sigh of relief as she crosses the room.

“I don’t think I’ve endured so many hugs in my life as I have since I’ve returned from Hell, brother.” This is shared in an undertone as Linda retrieves Charlie for his feeding. Chloe joins her on the settee, their conversation low.

“Luci, they just-“

“It’s only… that it’s an adjustment. I worry that I may injure them if my reactions get away from me.”

“You never would, Luci.” Amenadiel starts to load his plate, and changes the subject. “Was the rest of your visit productive?”

Lucifer lets the argument go, he knows he’ll never get an agreement from his stubborn brother.

“I hope so. I finished the backlog of the Indeterminates, and got completely caught up on the new arrivals as well. I tinkered with several more Faultless loops in the hopes of seeing a result, and I think another was coming close to Ascending as I was preparing to leave. I could feel the divine residue, but it was still faint. I’m hoping it will be empty by my next visit.

“Luci, that’s fantastic! Do you know what this means?”

“Yes, it means that I could have bloody helped these souls eons ago, and haven’t!” This last was nearly shouted, and the room goes quiet. Chloe’s eyes lock on Lucifer, ready to intercede between the brothers, if necessary.

“Luci, that’s not what I was going to say.” Amenadiel takes a breath, watching Lucifer’s face contort with grief. “Actually, I have a message for you.”

“A message? Please tell me it’s not from _Dad._ ” Lucifer scoffs, crossing his arms in front of him and stiffening his shoulders.

“No, I did not speak with Father. I did, however, speak with Delilah.” A smile starts to break through the stormclouds brewing in Lucifer’s eyes, and his shoulders relax a bit.

“So you _did_ find her! Oh, well done, Delilah!” He releases a long, drawn-out sigh and more tension leaves his body.

“She wanted me to tell you, brother, that she knows what you did for her. She remembers what you said to her, and she is eternally grateful.” Lucifer’s eyes slide closed as his brother relays his message. “She was disappointed to learn that she would be unable to tell you so in person.”

Chloe had started to cross the room toward the brothers as they held their conversation, and she can see unshed tears shining in his eyes when they slide open.

“She _did_ hear me,” he breathes, gratefully. “Thank you for carrying the message, brother. You’re no Gabriel, but… I appreciate the message, and the messenger.”

 _Speaking of Gabriel…_ Amenadiel briefly entertains telling Lucifer of his conversations with the other 3 archangels, but decides to let it pass. Their heavenly siblings are always a sore point with Lucifer, and now is certainly not the time to ram that well-barricaded door.

"You found Delilah, Amenadiel?” Chloe approaches the pair slowly, and Lucifer leans into her as she slips an arm around his waist in a sideways hug. Chloe’s question is quiet, but everyone in the penthouse is listening for the answer.

“I did. She was safely in the Silver City when I arrived, being interviewed by Raphael and… and Michael.” His eyes flickered to Lucifer and away again quickly, gauging his reaction to his twin’s apparent interest in his friend’s soul. Lucifer’s face is blank, but he slips away from Chloe and over to the bartop, pouring himself three fingers of scotch, which he immediately drinks. He refills the glass with two more fingers then slowly wanders back to Chloe, wrapping his free arm around her shoulders with a gentle squeeze.

He takes a smaller sip and gestures a rolling motion with his glass. “Do go on, Amenadiel, we’re not all of us immortal here.”

Chloe’s eyes flicker over Lucifer’s lack of expression and her gaze moves to Amenadiel’s tense one, trying to read the family dynamics coming into play.

“She was well at ease with them, Luci, they were just as interested as we are how a Hell-bound soul could redeem enough to Ascend. It was an interview, nothing more.”

“Hmm.” Lucifer nods slowly.

“She told me that at first her memories of her loop are fuzzy, before she remembers you coming to speak with her. She remembered you demanding that she hold to her end of your deal for her career- to pull herself together. She said afterward it became easier to see the truth of what happened, rather than what she _believed_ had happened. You added Linda to her loop, brother?”

“I did.” A small smile crosses Lucifer’s face. “It was the best thing I could think of to help her.”

“Well, it certainly seemed to help. She said she realized as she was singing at Lux in her loop that she’d made some bad choices, but had no control over how _other people_ had reacted to those choices. Once she threw off the weight of that guilt, the loop froze and the door began glowing. She remembered you telling her the door was unlocked and she could leave whenever she wished –“

“-and she opened the door.” Lucifer breathes, and his arm tightens around Chloe’s shoulders. “Oh, you clever girl, I _knew_ you had it in you to turn yourself around.”

“So what does that mean, Lucifer?” Maze breaks in. “What does it mean that this soul was able to get out of Hell, when no one ever has before?”

“I…” Lucifer still seems a bit dazed, like he still can’t quite believe it. “I don’t know, Mazikeen. I suppose only time will tell. I’ll be going back in a few days to see if any progress has been made with the other loops I tweaked while I was there. Oh! Linda, my dear Doctor, I was hoping I might be able to pick your brain as to how I might help some others – I have scenarios, but… it may be easier if I write them out so you can peruse them as you feel up to it? Or perhaps you can recommend some research material for me…”

“Lucifer, I-“

“Of course, I’m more than happy to pay you for your time!” His dark eyes lock on hers, “Doctor, I can’t help them unless I can understand them… and you know I’m rubbish at that bit.”

She smiles up at her favorite patient. “You never give yourself enough credit, Lucifer. Of course I’ll help, if I can.”

The sun is sliding into mid-afternoon by this point, and the adventuring party starts to break up. Linda and Amenadiel retreat first with Charlie, as Lucifer wanders out onto the balcony and Chloe and Trixie spend some quality time with their canine charge. Maze joins him at the railing with her own tumbler full of gin.

“We.”

“Pardon?”

“You said ‘I’ll be going back in a few days.’ That’s not how it’s happening, Lucifer, it’s ‘ _we’_ are going back in a few days.” She doesn’t look at him, but keeps her eyes straight ahead.

“Mazikeen, I am sorry, I did not have a choice in sending you away, the toxicity wouldn’t dispel nearly as quickly in the infernal plane as it would here-“

“ _I know that, Lucifer._ But you are not going down there without someone watching your back. Especially now that you’re distracted by trying to save those Faultless souls. You’ll get tunnel vision and it would be too easy for an assassin to take you out.”

“Easy, hm?” He arches an eyebrow at her, his pride prickling. “I managed for 300 years down there without you babysitting me, I’ll have you know.”

“Mmhm. And now you’re a mess.” She sighs. “You’ve got too much to lose now, Lucifer. You can’t do it all alone.”

“How dare y-“ His chest puffs up, but he’s interrupted by a new arrival on the balcony.

“She’s right, Lucifer. You need a partner, and…” Chloe’s voice goes softer, “apparently I can’t help in this.”

“Detective, I-“

“For what it’s worth, I totally agree with the demon, _and_ the detective.” Comes another, more cheerful voice. _“Lo siento, Diablo, pero no vas a ganar aqui.”_

 _“La verdad duele,_ Ms. Lopez.” He gives her a welcoming smile and she crosses the balcony to wrap him in a warm embrace.

Lucifer meets Chloe’s gaze over the top of Ella’s head and scoffs. “You can’t help. Please, Detective, _you_ are one of the primary reasons that I have any hope of success in this endeavor at all.”

Chloe’s face contorts in confusion, and Lucifer continues as Ella pulls away to listen.

“So many millennia I’ve tried to help these souls- with not a single one saved. Not one, Detective, despite trying so many times, so many different ways.” His voice rings hollow with the helplessness he had felt at failing these souls, at his inability to convince them of their own innocence. “Until I came here, now. Until I met you, and through you, your Offspring, the good Doctor, Miss Lopez… even, Dad help me, Daniel. All of you have taught me so much about humans that never would have occurred to me before. I think... I think that's made a vital difference here. So don't lament that you can't help." He throws her a wink. "I think it's likely you've put in more effort than anyone."

He holds out a hand to her, and she crosses the balcony to take it in her own, his thumb tracing circles against her pulse. Ella glances at Maze and clears her throat, suddenly feeling a bit in the way.

“I appreciated the updates by the way, Decker. I’m really sorry I couldn’t make it sooner.” She heaves a frustrated sigh. "The crew on the Martinez case needs to get their act together. I've never seen so much mislabeled evidence in my LIFE. It took me forever to straighten out!"

“No rest for the… well, you know, Miss Lopez.” Lucifer grins impishly at the diminutive forensic technician, who scoffs and swats at him playfully.

“Psh, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she huffs. “ _I_ am a perfect angel!”

“Oh _are_ you now?” he crows, enjoying the banter. “Go on, then, sister, out with your wings, let’s see them!”

“I wouldn’t want to fry your brain, buddy.” She giggles, teasing. “I’ve heard that divinity hits some folks harder than others.”

“Well, you’re not wrong about that.” Maze snickers, but Chloe’s face goes a little pale, and Lucifer hurriedly changes the subject.

“You must be ravenous, Ms. Lopez, what do you say we order some dinner? Or would we prefer to go out? I’m sure I can scrape together a reservation…”

In the end, they decide to order in, as Lucifer nearly has a litter of hellhounds at the idea of leaving the puppy completely untended in his penthouse, even with the very sturdy door and marble flooring. Ella votes strongly for Sol de Javier, and everyone agrees. Lucifer nearly makes a joke about Ella needing to test the mole for poison before he remembers Chloe’s reaction to Maze’s offhand remark about differing reactions to exposure to divinity.

_Too soon, I think. Still a tender subject._

They decide to have an impromptu movie night. Ella and Trixie park in front of the enormous television and peruse Lucifer’s streaming services, debating choices excitedly while Maze observes- and occasionally vetoes. Lucifer retreats to his office temporarily to start making his list of loops that he wants to gain Linda’s insight on. Chloe follows after him, perching quietly on the opposite side of his desk and watching as he settles in to work.

His neatly flowing elegant script effortlessly crawls across the fine linen paper, and Chloe is content to watch the graceful, nearly hypnotic movements of the pen in his hand. After a while, she notices that the pen has stopped moving and she glances up to find him smiling fondly at her. She blinks, coming back to herself.

“You haven’t heard a word I’ve said, have you darling?” The corners of his eyes crinkle at the shake of her head, and he puts the pen down on the desk. “Where did you go, Detective?”

“I was just-“ She pauses, “thinking, I suppose.”

“Hm. Any thoughts in particular that I should be aware of?”

“Nothing particularly helpful, I suppose. Only- this project, this… undertaking. It’s massive, and will make an unbelievable difference to these souls. Lucifer, I am _so proud of you_ for not giving up on them.” Her mouth turns up in a tremulous smile, but her eyes reflect sadness.

“You’re thinking about Mazikeen’s remark about reacting to divinity, aren’t you?” He asks softly. “Chloe, please, we-“

“Dammit, Lucifer!” she bursts out, “I could have _killed you!_ ” She stands from the desk, starting to pace the width of the room as he sits back in his chair and follows her with his eyes. “I don’t… I can’t – Lucifer, _I love you_ and I nearly killed you! Because I was afraid! How could I do that? I’m not- what is _wrong_ with me??”

“Detective,” Lucifer begins, but catches sight of the fire in her eyes and thinks again. “Chloe, love.” He says her name gently, as though it may become damaged with use. “There are many, many, _many_ things that I regret that have happened between us, and probably every single one of them has been directly or indirectly my fault. Unequivocally. I had wanted to tell you, _really_ tell you the truth of me for over a year before you saw for yourself who- _what-_ I am.”

Chloe starts to protest his choice of words, but he holds his hand up, a King requesting silence. “I decided to tell you after I sent Mum to her new dimension, but that got waylaid with my devil-napping. I was slapped with a brand-new pair of wings… and when I tried to show you the truth afterward, I found I’d also lost my Devil face. I couldn’t even show you my wings then, Chloe, because I’d just cut them off. And then they grew back again, but they… they weren’t _me._ As far as I was concerned, they were a punishment from my Father- and I was afraid that all you would see was an _angel_ , and that- is not what I am.” He smiles at her sadly. “So, the revelation got pushed back while I tried to deal with that. Then the Sinnerman debacle and you were so rightfully angry with me that I was sure you wouldn’t have believed me even if I _had_ shown you my wings. And I got sidetracked by trying to spit in dear old Dad’s eye by helping Cain break his immortality curse, which backfired spectacularly and put you squarely in danger with that Bolivian bomb scare- I’m not sure I had ever been so frightened as I was for you, then, Detective- save, perhaps your poisoning.” Here he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, as if pushing back that painful memory. “After… After the Axara concert, you seemed so- happy. I managed to convince myself that- if you had changed _me_ so very much, made _me_ want to be a better person- you could easily do the same for Cain. Though truly, _I_ should have known better.” Chloe has gravitated closer to him as he has spoken, so she is close enough to reach out and press her palm to his face, her thumb caressing along his cheekbone. His left hand moves to cover it, and his right arm encircles her hip, pulling her down to nestle into his lap, her head resting on his shoulder. “I regret the way you saw my truth, but Chloe, I never blamed you for running. I put it off for so long because I couldn’t imagine you – _anyone!_ \- reacting any other way.”

“But Lucifer, what I did-“

“I’m not at all downplaying what happened. The fact that you… you lied to me, you _used_ my love for you to plot against me, even temporarily; I don’t lie darling, it hurt me _deeply._ ” He pulls her closer even as her body stiffens against him. “But, Detective- Chloe- I hurt you first. At _least_ as deeply, and likely even worse. I didn’t even give you what could have been the best tool to battle that revelation- Doctor Linda!” He rests his chin on the top of her head, and her left hand moves up to thread into the hair at the back of his neck, and they cling together for a moment. “We are going to _fix this_ , Chloe. I can’t have you feeling guilty for this. I refuse to have you wind up in Hell, least of all for something involving _me_. I meant what I said on that beach, darling, I’m not worth it.”

 _You are worth it. You’re worth it to me._ She can’t say it out loud, because he will argue and fret.

“Yeah. You’re probably right.” She whispers as she closes in and presses her lips to his, as softly as she had on that beach. Her hand tightens in his hair and a little surprised noise gets trapped in his throat as his arms clasp tightly around her. As she starts to move to deepen the kiss, they’re broken apart by a small noise from the doorway.

“Heeeey guys-“ Ella’s face is red, she had obviously caught her foot on the doorjamb as she was trying to turn away. “You know I’m team Deckerstar all the way! I was gonna give you a minute or two and come back, y’know, making some more noise…”

“It’s quite all right, Ms. Lopez.” Lucifer sighs good-naturedly. “I daresay we’re quite used to this situation by now, wouldn’t you agree Detective?”

Chloe mutters something unintelligible into Lucifer’s shoulder and Ella laughs, calling back over her shoulder as she retreats down the hall. “Well, food’s here… when you’re ready.”

He leans his cheek against her hair and chuckles to himself. “Come, Detective. Javier Junior’s famous mole awaits us.” She leaves her face buried in his neck for another moment, then begrudgingly stands, tugging him up with her. He places the knuckle of his index finger under her chin, gently lifting her eyes to lock with his. “We _are_ going to fix this, Chloe. I won’t have you carrying this guilt. I _can’t_.”

All she can do is give a slight nod.

They join the others in the sitting room after grabbing their plates, and settle onto the couch as they start the chosen movie.

“This is highly inaccurate,” Lucifer comments quietly into Chloe’s ear. “Vikings sounded nothing like this.”

“Lucifer, it’s a kid’s movie. About _dragons_. I’m pretty sure none of it is going to be historically accurate.” He gives a sniff and she giggles. “You could always offer to be a Hollywood consultant to ensure they get it right.”

“My consultant time is fully booked, Detective, as you well know. Or, well, hopefully it will be again soon?” He turns his soft brown eyes on her, inquiring.

“Really? You want to come back?” She tries to keep the hope out of her voice, but she’s pretty sure she fails miserably.

“I’ll still need to make time for regular supervisory visits to Hell, but I don’t see why I wouldn’t be able to continue my position as your partner, if you’ll have me.”

“Yeah, buddy, that’s not gonna be a problem, trust me.” Ella whispers from the corner of her mouth, grinning. “By the way, you guys are nowhere near as quiet as you think you are.”

The evening draws to a close, and the party truly breaks up. Maze gives Lucifer a _look_ , and he rolls his eyes with a muttered, “Yes, yes, see you soon Mazikeen.”

Chloe helps Trixie load Kimo into his travel crate and makes sure the guest room is spotlessly clean- not that it will keep Lucifer from fumigating it anyway. Her anxiety has started rising again as the time draws nearer for them to leave. It’s a school night for Trixie, after all.

“Do you… do you want to ride back to the apartment with us? To pick up your car?” She asks wistfully.

“I can always come get it tomorrow, Detective, it’s not as if Maze is using the parking space anymore-” He catches sight of the tension in her face and stops himself mid-sentence. “But yes, I _would_ like to ride back with you.”

They share a smile, and load everyone into the lift with their fingers intertwined.


	11. Chapter 11

Linda settles Charlie into his bassinet once they arrive home from the penthouse, and turns on the tinkling mobile that had so horrified Lucifer. The baby sleepily watches it turn, reaching a pudgy fist up and making little grabbing motions toward it. She smiles down at her son and watches him lose his battle with wakefulness. The mobile sways a little in a sudden breeze, and when Linda turns, she’s greeted with the sight of a blonde stranger with cream-colored, gold-barred wings spread wide.

“Fear not!” the stranger intones, and his voice – though quiet enough not to disturb the dozing baby- reverberates in her very being. A gentle aura of light surrounds his head, making it appear as though his blonde hair is woven from sunlight. “I am Gabriel, The Messenger. I come in peace, Dr. Linda Martin, and only wish to speak to my brother Amenadiel.”

“Amenadiel. You have a… message.” Linda calls, loudly enough for him to hear the stress in her tone, but not enough to send Charlie into a fit and draw attention to him. She doesn’t relax, but also doesn’t scream. She keeps her body warily between the angelic intruder and her son. Gabriel adopts a relaxed stance, furling his wings close to his shoulders and gazing at her with friendly, deep blue eyes. Amenadiel appears in the living room nearly immediately, surprise written on his expression.

“Gabriel! What are you doing here?” He moves quickly to place himself between his sibling and his family, and Linda relaxes a very little when she sees he is not tensed for battle.

“I told you, brother, that I would give thought to what you had told me regarding Samael. I have done so, and wished to speak with you, if you have some time?”

“You couldn’t have prayed ahead to let me know you were coming?”

“And give you the chance to say no, Amenadiel?” Gabriel gives him a sunny grin. “It has been long, and long since I’ve made a visit to Earth. _Much_ has changed!”

Amenadiel sighs and exchanges a sideways glance with Linda. She nods slightly, indicating that she’s comfortable enough to play hostess with this particular sibling.

“Should I make some tea? Or… would your brother prefer wine?”

“Gabriel is more of a water drinker.” Amenadiel smiles. “Have you two gone through introductions already?”

“Gabriel introduced himself right away, and apparently already knows who I am.” Linda lifts an eyebrow in inquiry.

“Of course I know who you are, Dr. Martin! I have interviewed two souls now who have had wonderful things to say about you, and I am aware of your acquaintance with two of my brothers.”

Linda’s eyebrow arches higher at the term ‘acquaintance,’ but doesn’t comment. Her eyes flick from Amenadiel to the bassinet and he lifts his head in understanding.

“Come, brother, let us sit on the patio. The Los Angeles weather is wonderful this evening, and I am sure you would much rather feel the breeze as we chat.”

Gabriel bows his head in acquiescence, understanding that his brother is not quite comfortable having him in his home, near his offspring. “Worry not, Doctor Martin. I am not hot-headed Remiel, I have no quarrel with Amenadiel for siring a son with you. Your family is in no danger from me.”

“Thank you, Gabriel. I’ll join you on the patio in a moment with our drinks.” Once in the kitchen, Linda debates the idea of texting Lucifer to warn him of his brother’s visit. Or at least Maze. As she gathers the glasses and sets up the serving tray, though, she decides against it. Lucifer has enough on his plate at the moment, and truly doesn’t need to be distracted right now by more inevitable family drama. And if Maze found out, not only would she tell Lucifer, she’d probably have him fly her here and start a fight. If Gabriel only wants to talk with Amenadiel about Lucifer, then that means he’s not ready to face Lucifer yet. If, in fact, he’ll ever actually want to. She can’t read any malicious intent in Gabriel’s open expression and she’s looking forward to speaking with him, if for no other reason than to possibly get some more insight into the family dynamics behind her impossibly complex patient and friend. And _maybe_ even her live-in co-parent angel.

She exits to the patio and catches Gabriel mid-sentence. “-for you to visit the Silver City again, but I know you do not visit as often as you once did.” He glances up at Linda and smiles, the corners of his eyes crinkling merrily. “I apologize for intruding upon your home, Dr. Martin, Amenadiel tells me it is far more courteous to arrive _outside_ and rap my knuckles upon the entrance to gain entry.”

“Well, next time you will know.” She hands him his glass of ice water and grins at the archangel. “You are forgiven.”

“You’re not afraid of me at all, are you?” He tilts his head at her, appearing charmed.

“I have a healthy respect for the celestial, Gabriel.” Her smile turns wry. “At this point I’m best friends with a demon and the devil, I’ve met and confronted your mother, been hunted by your sister, met a bit of your father’s presence, and am living with your brother. So, while the capacity for fear has not lessened, experience has perhaps ground down the sharper edges for the time being.”

“You… you consider Samael your _friend?_ ”

“Gabriel, I’ve told you, he does not answer to that name anymore. _If_ you choose to speak with him, you _must_ call him by his chosen name.”

“Lucifer, then.” He waves his hand, as if the label is unimportant. “You consider my fallen brother your friend?”

“I do, one of the best. He is a good man, and cares very deeply for those that he adopts into his circle. I admit that I’m curious as to what brings you to Earth to discuss him.”

Gabriel shakes his head. Not denying what he is hearing, merely – having difficulty understanding it, and applying it to what he thought he knew about his brother. “This is difficult to understand. I spoke with Amenadiel when he visited the Silver City to interview the ascended soul- what an occurrence that was, a soul redeemed and redirected from the very depths of Hell and deposited into Heaven! Then, to find that it was made possible by the efforts of the brother I had thought lost to darkness and malevolence… It has been eons since I knew him. He was the Light-Bringer, Father’s favorite son, the Morning Star, brightest of us all! Tasked with creating the heavens and shaping the earth to Father’s specifications with the help of Michael. Sa- Lucifer was- when he was in the Silver City among the rest of us, he was also an arbitrator of sorts. He was the best at discovering the root of a disagreement and finding the answer most likely to satisfy the parties involved. When transgressions occurred, it was his duty to determine the consequences for the offending parties.”

 _Always a punisher. Even before Hell, he couldn’t escape it._ Linda keeps her expression smooth, encouraging Gabriel to speak freely.

“When Michael subjugated Lucifer and cast him out at Father’s Word, I- _we all_ thought our brother was lost to us. That he had turned irrevocably to the dark, standing against our Father. It was said that we must be ready for the day when Samael would bring war back to the gates of Heaven, to bring battle to vanquish our Father.”

“Well, he certainly isn’t Father’s biggest fan.” Amenadiel snorts. “Luci’s very open about the fact that he loathes Father deeply for abandoning him, for casting him down to literally burn in Hell. But if he really wanted to bring war to the gates of Heaven, he had his chance when Mom was here. She encouraged it, even tried to manipulate him into using the Flaming Sword to get her back to Heaven and start her war with Father.”

Gabriel’s eyes widen, and his jaw drops a bit, before he licks his lips and closes them. Linda keeps her own mouth closed. She knows Lucifer’s feelings toward his father are beyond complicated. The favorite son, fallen from grace, cast out and abandoned to solitude and literal Hell for what could be billions of years. Wanting approval from a distant parent that will never come, and not wanting to admit it because admitting it will pull the scab off the ancient wound of his rejection- and this time he might bleed to death from it.

Hearing Amenadiel speak in defense of Lucifer to his sibling this way warms a spot in her heart that had remained cool toward her co-parent since Chloe had reminded her about Amenadiel raising a corrupt cop from Hell to put a hit on Lucifer. That little reminder had inspired many conversations which were less Linda being a therapist, and more Linda beating sense into the sometimes-incredibly-dense skull of the man, angel - _whatever-_ she just might love. Fortunately, by then Amenadiel had already come to the realization that the actions he had taken then were far beyond the pale and was already taking steps to adjust his approach.

“You think Lucifer has no intentions of waging war on Heaven?” Gabriel is asking. Linda must have gotten lost in contemplation for a moment, unless Amenadiel is playing with time again… She sneaks a peak at him, but he doesn’t seem strained, so she sets that suspicion aside for now.

“I can’t tell you what our brother thinks, Gabriel, but I can tell you that if war was his intention, his best chance would have been to work with Mom while he had the Flaming Sword. If Father were to bring war to Lucifer, I don’t doubt he would fight- to protect those he loves, if for no other reason. I’ve no doubt he would punch Father in the face if he got the barest chance. But I don’t truly believe he would wage a war on Heaven. I.. don’t think he would want to give Father the chance to reject him again.”

“This is only speculation, Amenadiel.” Gabriel protests, but Linda interjects.

“Until you decide if you’re going to speak with Lucifer, it’s all going to be speculation.” Her voice is soft, but firm. “You know Lucifer doesn’t lie. So why don’t you ask him yourself?”

Gabriel’s bright blue eyes meet her own paler blues earnestly, and he nods slowly. “I will need to think longer before I act. I have duties in Heaven I must return to. I’ve left Serimael with the new arrivals, and I’m sure she is overwhelmed by now. I take my leave for now, brother, Dr. Martin, but – may I return again?”

Amenadiel and Linda share a glance. “Of course, brother. If you come in peace, The Messenger will be welcome.”

“Then I look forward to my next visit.” Gabriel inclines his head to his hosts and unfurls his wings, and he is gone in a soft gust of wind.

The human and the angel stare at each other for a moment in silence. Finally, Linda can’t hold it in anymore.

“What the f-“

**********************************************************

Chloe pulls into her parking space and cuts the engine. Kimo dances in his crate, ready to be let out to run and Trixie exits the car, taking the puppy’s crate with her. The ride back to the apartment had been quiet, Lucifer gazing out the window into the distance as his mind turned over his new project for Hell again and again. Chloe would shoot glances at him from time to time as traffic allowed, but neither one of them let go of the other’s hand once they entered the car. They sit that way now, quiet, watching as Trixie places the leash on Kimo and starts to walk him around the courtyard.

“Will you come in?” She asks him, then bites her lip. She knows she sounds needy, but… truthfully, right now, she _is._

“Detective, I-“

“I mean, you can work on those lists as easily here as at the penthouse, and-“

“-would love to, thank you darling.” He chuckles at her anxious explanation. “I meant what I said earlier to your spawn, Detective. I have absolutely _no_ desire to be parted from you longer than I have to be. When I am at your side, I find myself quite… content.”

Chloe sits in silence for a moment, wondering who this calm, communicative person is sitting next to her, and what he has done with _her_ Lucifer. “You- really?”

“Mm, yes, very much so.” His fingers squeeze hers, and he sighs melodramatically. “Do try not to spread it too far and wide, though, will you? Can’t have Lux’s reputation suffer just because it’s owner has gone and fallen head over heels for the most fascinating woman on the planet, hm”?

Chloe’s cheeks heat, and she finally moves to unfasten her seatbelt. “Let’s get inside, then. Will coffee, or wine be better for your list-making?”

“Oh, Detective,” he smirks, “That boxed wine you keep on tap is definitely not fit for consumption. But fortunately, I smuggled over some of my scotch collection over the past few days, so I am fully prepared for the evening ahead.”

“Fully prepared, hm?” she arches an eyebrow at him, quirking up one side of her mouth in a lopsided smile.

“Oh, quite prepared, yes.” And now his smirk slides into an appreciative leer, his voice low and sultry. “For whatever you may have in mind, my dear. Though the scotch has little to do with that.”

Chloe quickly clears her throat and exits the car before she can shift her weight in the seat and give away exactly what his voice can do to her. She hears him chuckling behind her as he exits the car on his own side.

“C’mon, Trix! Kimo’s family will be by in a little bit to pick him up, so let’s make sure we’ve got everything together for him.”

Lucifer has already gathered his satchel containing the sheaf of papers that is his current list for Linda from the car, and is opening her (locked) front door and ushering Trixie and the puppy in ahead of him. He eyes the puppy distrustfully, and Chloe shakes her head at him, suppressing a smile.

_At least I won’t have to request an extra key for him. It would just be ceremonial, anyway._

He bows her inside and steps in after her, closing the door softly behind him. Lucifer settles himself with his list at the breakfast bar, close enough for conversation, but far enough away to avoid puppy contamination of his suit. Chloe and Trixie scour the apartment finding the toys that Kimo has scattered everywhere in the past couple days (minus the one he destroyed at the penthouse). Banter flows between the three of them easily as the stack of papers with his impeccable writing on them grows slowly taller. After about an hour there is a knock at the door, and Chloe greets Kimo’s dads, who look exhausted but relaxed.

“I hope he wasn’t any trouble for you, Chloe?” asks Tod anxiously. “I can’t tell you how much we appreciate you looking after him for us.”

“No, of course not. You may want to be careful at the neighborhood dog park- he, uh, can slip under the fence there…”

“They haven’t fixed that yet?!” Randy interjects, “I told the office about that fence weeks ago! I thought they would have addressed it by now, or I would have warned you, Chloe.”

“Oh, worry not, the Detective is more than a match for a runaway renegade, fellows.” Lucifer emerges from the kitchen with a tumbler of scotch in hand, and the couples’ eyes widen in tandem as they take him in.

Lucifer had abandoned his suit jacket and waistcoat shortly after arriving at the apartment (“One less thing for your furry guest to shed upon, Detective.”), and has since rolled up the sleeves on his shirt to avoid getting ink on them as he writes. He hadn’t bothered putting product in his hair after his shower, so it’s more curly and fluffy than she’s accustomed to, but it lends him a rather unnecessary air of rakishness. She manages to tear her eyes away from the muscles in his forearms, and (barely) manages to suppress her smile at her neighbors’ reactions to seeing Lucifer for the first time.

“Sorry, terribly rude of me, gents. Lucifer. Morningstar.” He lifts his glass in greeting, his eyes twinkling with mischief as their eyes widen even further. Tod gives him a tentative wave, while Randy not-quite-casually places his arm across Tod’s shoulders and nods a greeting.

“Nice to meet you, uh, Lucifer. Randy Merriman, and this is my husband Tod.”

“The pleasure is all mine, I’m sure.” His grin is mischievous, and Chloe internally pleads with him not to flirt with the neighbors too much. “I know Beatrice has greatly enjoyed having a temporary canine companion to cavort with. But I’m sure you _desire_ to have him back at home where he belongs.”

“Yes!” Tod blurts out, flustered. “That’s… exactly. So, uh, thank you again, Chloe- so much! We’re really, vacation was, um… We’re tired. Enjoy your evening!”

Tod scoops the puppy travel bag into his arms, while Randy collects Kimo from Trixie and the very confused pair retreats as quickly as manners allow. Trixie waves from the doorway, then closes and locks it behind them. Lucifer smirks, and Chloe raises an eyebrow at him.

“Lucifer, did you just mojo my neighbors?”

“What? No, of course not.” His smirk lingers on his face. “I simply dialed down my magnetism a bit, and Randy’s jealousy and Tod’s insecurity did the rest. Wouldn’t want to cause any problems between the happy couple, and unfortunately I don’t come with an off-button.”

“And you wanted to get Kimo out of here.” She tries to fight the smile, but can’t.

“And possibly that, yes.” Lucifer’s eyes are lit up with mirth, crinkles in the corners forming. “No harm done, Detective.”

“Can we do a game tonight, Mom?” Trixie pleads, hoping her mother won’t notice it’s nearly bedtime.

“Nope, it’s getting late, and you’ve got school tomorrow morning.” Trixie groans as Chloe continues with the dreaded words. “Time to get washed up, and into PJ’s baby. You’ll need to take a bath tonight- your dad is picking you up from school tomorrow and you know he’s only got a shower at his apartment.” Trixie was going to stay with Dan this week while Chloe focuses on her back-to-work evaluation and (hopefully) easing back into work.

Lucifer grins at the Decker ladies and retreats back to the bar and his list, while Chloe cajoles, scolds, and finally convinces Trixie that it’s highly likely that a nice hot bath will indeed help her become tired. Trixie, ever the deal-maker, does manage to wheedle the concession of a (very) small slice of cake before she goes to take her bath and wisely takes the win.

She seats herself at the bar next to Lucifer’s stack of papers as her mother slices the cake. A raised eyebrow in Lucifer’s direction from Chloe elicits a nod in response, and she dishes out 3 slices for them before joining them at the bar. Lucifer taps his stack of papers and sets them aside, eagerly switching his focus for the time being.

The trio sit at the bar and eat their cake, chatting lightly about the week ahead until Chloe puts an end to Trixie’s stalling and sends her off to bathe. Lucifer chuckles as Trixie dramatically drags herself from the bar, retrieves her pajamas, and mopes up the stairs to the bathroom.

He places his fork on his now-clean plate and starts to stand, but Chloe stops him with a hand on his forearm. She’s got a slight smile on her face, and she reaches up with her thumb to brush a slight trace of chocolate frosting from his upper lip. She starts to bring it to her lips, but he encircles her wrist with his fingers and brings it to his own, gently nibbling the sugary smear from the pad of her thumb, followed by a swipe of his tongue. Her breath catches in her throat as she watches him swallow.

“That was _mine_ ,” he purrs, leaning toward her with intense, dark eyes. His lips meet hers and he tastes of chocolate, and scotch, and _Lucifer._

“Not even sorry.” She smiles up at him when he pulls back, startling a laugh from him.

“Vixen.” His eyes light with his smile and he reluctantly stands to gather both their plates, settling them in the dishwasher. He turns to find her close behind and she presses into him, lips hungrily seeking his and he meets her desire with his own. Her hands slide along his face and up into his hair, while his slide down, scooping her up by her thighs and she squeaks against his lips as he lifts her to sit on the counter. Once they’re at a more comfortable level, the kiss settles, and deepens. Chloe perches on the edge of the counter, and Lucifer steps forward to press the length of his body against hers. They lean into one another, open kisses trailing from lips to jaws, down throats. Chloe’s eyes crinkle with mischief when she finds a ticklish spot under Lucifer’s left ear that he had never known about.

“Everything feels different with you, darling, I won’t be surprised if we find more little… humanities.”

“Speaking of humanities…” Chloe trails off as she gets lost in the sensation of the tip of Lucifer’s tongue tracing a hot trail up the side of her neck.

“Mhm?” He makes an inquiring sound to show that he’s listening, even if he _is_ otherwise engaged at the moment.

“How human _are_ you when you’re with me?”

He pulls back from nuzzling her earlobe, his expression pensive. “Well, I suppose there’s no real way to know 100%. I know I can bleed with you near. Die. Apparently experience tickling- actual tickling, not the kind I get from a cattle prod…” he trails off and Chloe considers pursuing that abandoned thought, but thinks better of it. _Stay on track, Decker._

“I suppose what I’m asking is… you seem very certain that you’ve never fathered a child.”

“Oh, I _know_ that’s not a possibility.” He answers confidently.

“And yet, Charlie.”

“Ah.” His face falls a bit. “Well, Amenadiel was fallen, lost all his powers. He was basically… human, when he and Linda were together. Were they to… decide they were still sexually compatible at this point in time, they would not have the same result.”

“So, if you’re partly human when you’re with me…”

“Yes, I see your point, Detective. Unfortunately, the only one that truly has that answer is my Father, and he’s not bloody likely to tell us. Well, I suppose Raphael might have an inkling, being the Healer and all, but he’s not likely to come by for Sunday dinner either-“

“Raphael. The archangel Raphael, one of your brothers?”

“Yes, one of the four. The Healer.” He interprets her raised eyebrow as a ‘Go on’ gesture and sighs. “The Healer. The Sword, Michael- my bloody twin. The Messenger, Gabriel.”

“And The Lightbringer.” She raises a hand to caress his stubbled cheek, and he leans into her touch. “You have a twin?”

“Please don’t ask if I’m the evil one.” His voice is only half-joking.

“I already know that’s not the case. I’ve seen all of your bits by now, and while you’re full of surprises, evil is nowhere to be found.” She leans in for another soft kiss, and rests her head against his shoulder. She feels him heave a sigh, and he closes his arms around her as he leans his cheek against the top of her head. He doesn’t argue with her statement, but she knows that doesn’t mean he agrees with it.

“I suppose we’ll just have to take precautions,” he says, retreating to their original topic. “I am certainly not father material, and my siblings would most definitely not tolerate a little antichrist running around Earth. They tried to make off with Charlie, for goodness’ sake!”

“They did what?” Chloe gasps, horrified.

“Oh, yes. Linda didn’t tell you? Remiel, Amenadiel’s protégé came down to Earth because she felt a new celestial presence. She’d decided I was the father and was Hell-bent, if you’ll pardon the term, on taking it back to Heaven with her so it wouldn’t be raised a weakling.” Lucifer shakes his head. “As if I would be so irresponsible.”

Chloe shakes her head and smirks at him. “Yes, you’ve been the poster boy for responsibility this last decade or so.”

“Well, as long as I’m a pin-up, I suppose I can’t complain.” He responds cheerfully and they laugh together, still ensconced in their embrace.

When Trixie comes back downstairs, yawning from the warmth of her bath despite the naps she had taken earlier in the day, she finds the pair of them perusing his list.

“Will you be here in the morning, Lucifer?” she asks, rubbing her eyes.

He throws a look at Chloe, who smiles back at him, trusting him to handle the situation. “That… was the intention, Beatrice, is that quite all right?”

“Of course it’s all right, silly.” Her daughter rolls her eyes at the Devil. “If you were leaving I was going to hug you, but since you’re staying I’ll just say good night.”

“So.. the hugs are a punishment for leaving? Devious child.”

“Good night, Lucifer,” Trixie giggles. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Good night, Urchin. Sleep well.” His eyes follow her into her bedroom, where Chloe makes sure she gets settled. She emerges much sooner than Lucifer had anticipated, and she catches the wondering look on his face.

“What’s that expression for?” She seats herself back at the bar with him and pulls the list back toward her.

Lucifer glances at her, then back to Trixie’s door before he answers. “Your Offspring is truly unique, Detective. I’m going to see about implementing the ‘Hug Torture’ technique in Hell. Perhaps for recalcitrant demons. I don’t know why it never occurred to me before, honestly, with the constant barrage I’ve had to endure between your spawn and Ms. Lopez…”

“Mm. And Candy.” She teases, and his face falls.

“Ah, now Detective-“ he begins, but she cuts him off.

“Lucifer. It’s all right. Amenadiel told me a little bit after… after you left, so I kind of get why, even if I _am_ still pissed that you didn’t just discuss things with me.” He opens his mouth to protest and she holds up her hand, mimicking the request for silence he had given her earlier. “I understand your reasons for _why_ it had to happen. I would like it if you’d tell me the actual story behind it now. Will you?”

Well, he’s promised her honesty, time to pay up. He restacks his papers and shuffles them off to the side of the bar, and they relocate to the couch with a tumbler of scotch apiece. Lucifer is tempted to bring the bottle, but refrains. For now.

They sit, and Chloe surprisingly snuggles into his side. He starts, as he must, with her baffling him by kissing him on the beach, then the poisoning case, followed by his mother’s reveal of her miracle status.

“I’m actually very glad Amenadiel told you about that part Detective. It was something I had meant to get ‘round to, but… things got in the way. I’m sure it took awhile to acclimate to.”

“Yeah, just a bit.” She snorts wryly, “I’m still working on wrapping my head around it, especially since nobody knows what it actually means.”

“Yes, quite so.” He continues with his flight to Vegas, and his ‘meet-cute’ with Candy at Fletcher’s.

“Seriously, Lucifer?” Chloe laughs incredulously, “She robs you blind, so you just ask for your ring back and offer to marry her?”

“I understood the desperation she was facing, Detective. She was in danger of losing her home, and so soon after my own experience with that situation, I was feeling rather lenient. Plus, she was absolutely brilliant with Mum.” He regales her with Candy’s antics with the Divine Goddess, and Chloe relaxes a little at this insight into his relationship with his ex-wife.

“You truly were married, though?”

“Of course, Detective. You know I don’t lie. I had _no_ idea that a marriage that lasted two weeks would take over a year to annul, though! My goodness, when the LVPD called me her husband when they thought she’d been murdered…”

“Whoa- oh my g- oodness, Lucifer! Candy’s dead? I’m so sorry! When did that happen?”

“No!” He’s quick to correct her, and ignores her near slip. “No, no, no, no, she’s perfectly fine! You remember your birthday, when I disappeared? LVPD called because they found what they thought was her body. I was worried that it might have been something that I hadn’t resolved as part of our fake-marriage deal, so I felt the need to go investigate, and Ms. Lopez was kind enough to go with me.”

“Oh my- ELLA is the RADISH?!” Chloe’s cheeks burn crimson as she realizes she let that exclamation pass her lips.

“Ms. Lopez is the what, now?” His eyebrow arches wickedly with his curious tone, and Chloe swallows, staring at her hands.

“I was with Linda, when you called to cancel your appointment. We were already at the penthouse, and… and we heard you call someone ‘ravishing’.” Chloe finished quietly.

“Ahhh, I see! Detective! Were you _jealous?_ ” He seems utterly delighted at this revelation.

“Okay, _yes!_ I was jealous. It was my birthday, my partner was gone, not answering calls, and had run off to Vegas _again_ , with someone ravishing. Yes, I was completely jealous. And then you came back, and you told me you never wanted to lie to me, and you gave me my necklace…” her hand clasps the bullet, and Lucifer’s fingers graze hers, his eyes soft.

“Ah, so you heard my little confession, eh?” He chuckles quietly. “Minx. Would you like to hear the story of Candy’s not-murder investigation?”

Of course, the answer to that was yes. So he proceeds to share his investigation with Ella in Vegas, Chloe is properly scandalized, and yet somehow not entirely surprised to learn that Ella is banned in Vegas for counting cards. And she’s very glad she was nowhere near Vegas when Lucifer reveals that the killer shot him several times before Ella shot him in the leg and took him down.

She snuggles into his chest as the story concludes, his arm comes around her shoulders and his hand gently rubs her upper arm. Each of them are remembering his return after that trip, the gift that symbolized their partnership, and the warm embrace that followed. They had fallen asleep together that night, mid-conversation sitting in his bed, and Lucifer had awakened to find them in their now normal position- the two of them completely entangled, with his nose buried in the hollow of her shoulder. He had immediately and quietly removed himself from that position and had never spoken of it again for fear of how Chloe would have reacted, but it has always been a happy memory for him to cling to.

They sit for a moment before Chloe stirs and makes to stand.

“Well, no plans for tomorrow, but I do have to wake up early to see Trixie off for school. I need a shower before bed, though.” She arches an eyebrow at him, and a lascivious smile spreads across his face.

“Detective… are you saying that it’s… later?”

“It is – _most definitely-_ later.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Explicit rating applies. I purposely made this a short chapter without any plot, so you can skip it entirely if you like. Nothing here but an excruciating scene to write that our lovebirds insisted on!

He’s on his feet in a swift movement so smooth she barely registers it. He steps into her space, and she closes the remaining distance, lifting her face to his and meeting his lips eagerly. After a moment, she teases his lips with her tongue and he opens instantly for her, inviting her in and welcoming her tongue with his dancing around it. The taste of scotch intensifies as his tongue slips past her lips, and she whimpers quietly into the kiss. She feels his chuckle rumbling in his chest, and after a moment her smile is so wide it breaks them apart. His eyes are dark with desire, shining with love and she feels as though her heart wants to burst from her chest.

She steps back from their embrace, and interlaces her fingers with his. He lifts it to his lips, pressing a kiss to the back of it as she turns to lead him up the stairs. By the time they reach her bedroom, the heat of the moment has cooled a bit and her anxiety is starting to assert itself.

“Lucifer, I know you’ve had a really long day-“ she begins, but she can’t continue. She _wants this_ , dammit.

He is watching her with a small smile on his lips. “It’s quite all right if you’ve decided you’d rather shower alone this evening, Detective.” He presses another kiss to the back of her hand and releases it. “I can certainly wait, if you’re…not…”

The last words are muffled against her lips and he doesn’t even try to finish his sentence. Her hands are busy with his shirt buttons, and his find her waist, gripping gently and pulling her flush against the warm solidity of him. They separate long enough for him to shrug off his shirt and to help remove her own, then surge back together like waves on a storm-struck sea; hands and mouths caressing and stroking until the two have nearly melded into one. Her trembling hands fumble at his belt, fingers lightly grazing the bulge beginning to make itself known there. He moans eagerly against her lips and she is reminded that although it’s been a day for her, it has been months for him. She manages to undo his trousers at the same time he unfastens her jeans, and they both step away and out of their remaining clothing.

She grins at him, and walks backwards, leading him into the ensuite bathroom. The harsh, unflattering light flickers to life and she catches sight of herself in the mirror, before she turns to distract herself with the shower settings. She sees hair that needs recolored, an ugly scar from a bullet wound- courtesy of Jimmy Barnes, stretch marks from her pregnancy, and the beginning of age-lines around her eyes. She sees his face reflected in the mirror as he steps close behind her, and his expression makes it completely clear that he shares none of those negative impressions. Curls of steam start to fill the room, obscuring the mirror. She turns to him and he offers his hand to her, smiling tenderly but giving her the option to refuse. She takes it and pulls him into the steaming spray, laughing as his eyes light up with joy and he laughs in relief.

There is some awkwardness at first, as they adjust to one another’s movements in the confined space. Chloe laughs at how very curly Lucifer’s hair becomes in the steam before the water plasters it to his head in little flat ringlets. They each admire the way the water ripples off the other’s body.

Chloe lathers a cloth and begins to wash, but Lucifer gently takes it from her with a hesitant, “May I?”

She nods mutely, and he steps into her space. He starts with her shoulders, the base of her neck, then down her arms and back up. Suds trail down from the cloth, and he applies enough gentle pressure to make her feel like she’s getting a soft massage. She closes her eyes and sighs in contentment, feeling her muscles loosen under the heat and his ministrations as the warmth pooling in her belly starts to expand. He slides the cloth down her sides, up and across her back, then back down to her hips. She feels him caress her ass through the cloth and she giggles a little as his own mischievous chuckle sounds from behind her, then the cloth moves down her outer thighs, then slowly up the inside of them. His fingers lightly tease the seam of her lips, and she feels warmer, but then his hands are on her waist, guiding her to turn to face him. He adds more soap to the cloth, and starts again, massaging her neck, shoulders, down and over her breasts, lightly tweaking her nipples as he moves. His fingers knead across her stomach, spending just a tad longer at that ticklish spot at her navel and a small giggle escapes, making her feel like the Pillsbury Doughboy for a moment. His delighted chuckle echoes in the space otherwise silent but for the falling water, and he continues down to her hips, thighs, even kneeling in front of her to make sure her calves and feet receive a thorough rubbing down. She’s starting to feel pleasantly boneless when she feels his hands moving slowly back up the insides of her thighs, this time without the cloth. She opens her eyes, and finds his eyes, his upturned face fixed on hers. She places a hand on his cheek, and his eyes lock with hers as his hand moves to lightly cup her sex. She rolls her hips into his touch and grins as he surges to his feet, his lips meeting hers as his clever fingers gently play a melody of her sighs and moans with their stroking caresses. His free hand comes up to carefully circle a thumb around her hardened nipple, and her breath catches when he softly rolls it between thumb and forefinger. She pushes her hips forward as his hands move and his fingers there slowly move from stroking to probing deeper. His thumb lightly flickers against her clit as his dexterous fingers slide inside her, finding the angles she desires most by her responses. An incandescent fire lights in her belly, and her breathing speeds. She moans against his lips and she can feel the effect it has on him as he rocks his hips slowly against hers, his erection sliding against her thigh. She reaches to take him in hand and his hungry groan sends a jolt into her midsection. She grips him, thumb caressing the head of him and slowly strokes, working to match the movement of his fingers inside her. They are both panting now, open mouths brushing one another, unable to maintain a kiss. He whispers encouragement into her ear as his fingers suddenly flex inside and his thumb presses down and she finds herself calling his name as she’s falling over the edge of orgasm, galaxies of light unfurling inside as her muscles contract around him. Her hand reflexively tightens around his shaft and his free hand slides around her waist, holding her tightly against him with a groan as her hips grind against his hand. He feels her start to retreat from the stimulation after a moment, and he pulls his hand from her, lightly stroking once more as she rests her forehead against his shoulder.

Her hand maintains its grip on him, stroking lightly as the water continues to beat down on them both. Once she’s no longer wobbly on her feet, she grins up at him. “Is it your turn now?”

“Ah, darling, I’ve already had one scrubbing today, but… if you so desire, I am yours.”

She reaches outside the curtain and pulls a second washcloth from the counter, lathering it. He plants himself like a statue, but his hands are never idle as she washes him. He caresses her shoulders, traces his fingers along her neck, brushes his palms over her breasts and everywhere he touches warmth radiates, sending overlapping ripples right back to her still-vibrating core. She feels that anticipation start building again, and fights to keep her restless concentration on him as his talented hands move along her body. A whine escapes his lips as she teases his member with a light stroke, then continues down his thighs, then she guides him to turn so she can wash his back. She presses her body against his as she stretches up to reach his shoulders, and she feels him reel back against her briefly. She snakes her arm around his waist and pulls him close to her, returning the caress on the ass as she reaches around to give his shaft another languid stroke. Once she’s completed his washing, she directs him back into the spray and his lips seek hers once again. She can feel his abdominal muscles tighten as she takes him in hand again, starting to stroke him in earnest.

His hand finds her sex again and she nearly growls at the flood of desire that wells up. She presses her body against his, pulling him down into a kiss. She wavers for a moment, but he stops her hand as she starts to guide him to her entrance.

“Lucifer-“ she pants, barely audible over the sound of the water in her ears, “I _want you._ ”

“Darling, I would like nothing better,” his voice is strained, and he rolls his hips against her, letting her feel his need pressed against her, “but we’ll need to either take this to the bedroom where the protection is, or try a different approach right now… what is your desire?”

Chloe is done waiting. She moves her body against him, pulls his head down and breathes, “Whatever it is, do it _now.”_

A deep laugh erupts from his throat, and he lifts her, turning to brace her back against the shower wall. She squeaks at the sudden movement and he chuckles, his lips pressed against her throat as his hands guide her legs around his waist. He reaches a hand between them to position himself against her, the back of his erection pressing between her lips. Her breath catches as he moves against her and she melts into him. He moves slowly at first, her swollen flesh still sensitive from her first orgasm. Their breathy moans are nearly masked by the sound of the shower, almost more felt than heard. He keeps his movements soft until he feels her start to rock her hips against him, seeking more friction. His fingers grasp the flesh of her ass as he moves against her more quickly, applying more pressure as they slide together, feeling the heat of her softness surround the rock-hard shape of him.

She gasps his name as he thrusts his hips against her and she rocks into him, legs clenching around his waist as she feels his muscles flexing into her, his movements becoming irregular as his hold on control wanes.

“Yes, Lucifer,” she whispers, breath panting into his ear. “Just like that, come with me-“

“Oh, _Chloe_ -“ He rocks hard against her, and they do. Breathing each other’s names like a prayer, they tremble together as they peak, then gently slide back down into each other’s embrace as they recover.

They stand under the beating water lost in their embrace, warm, lingering kisses until the water noticeably cools. Jarred into action, they hurriedly rinse and depart the shower laughing, limbs loose and relaxed, skin flushed as they towel off and prepare for bed.


	13. Chapter 13

The next morning, Chloe wakes to her alarm. She smiles at the now-familiar experience of Lucifer’s warmth wrapped around her, his curly hair tickling her nose and smelling of her shampoo. She starts to detangle herself and has to smile as he clings tighter, making a negative noise in the back of his throat as she tries to pull away.

“Lucifer,” she whispers in his ear. _“Lucifer.”_ The effort is rewarded with a drowsy grunt. “I’ve got to get up to get Trixie out to school.”

“Nnnn,” he whines as his arms tighten around her and she chuckles to herself.

“Okay, but you can’t say I didn’t give you a chance…” she moves her hand lightly across the ticklish spot she had found below his right pectoral and is rewarded with a startled jump from her sleepy partner.

“Bloody _hell,_ Detective, what was that?” His voice is gravelly with sleep and she wants nothing more than to stay in bed with him and listen to it some more.

“ _That_ is what happens when I’m trapped in my bed and need to move,” She suppresses her smile and attempts a stern look.

She must fail, because a smile starts to spread across his face. “You little minx! Using my weaknesses against me already?”

“Without mercy. Without regret.”

“I’ll show you without mercy, you little…” She jumps from the bed and retreats to the bathroom giggling as he surges after her with a bark of laughter. She throws on some clothing suitable for walking Trixie down to the bus stop, and Lucifer throws on a pair of loose-fitting pants over his boxers and a robe that he cinches tightly to cover his chest- one of his “modesty concessions” for when Trixie is present.

Breakfast consists of cereal and toast, with some orange slices. Chloe sets a mental reminder to place her grocery order later today. Trixie moans about having to go back to school, but it’s good-natured. Lucifer teases her lightly about the lack of actual education at her ‘small human institution’, and they chat about what she will do while staying with Dan for the upcoming week. Trixie delivers her threatened hug to Lucifer before she leaves, and he barely flinches before briefly returning it, then sending her out the door with her mother.

He retreated upstairs and checked his phone, finding a text from Linda.

**_I had a cancellation at 9 – do you have some scenarios you’d like to discuss?_ **

He sends her a thumbs up and devil emoji, and moves to Chloe’s closet to grab one of the suits he has stowed there.

**_Great. See you then._ **

When Chloe returns, she is surprised to find her partner fully dressed, standing at the bar perusing his list.

“Are you leaving?” Her voice shakes, betraying her disappointment. She focuses on ruthlessly suppressing the anxiety that starts to bubble up.

“Unfortunately, I have an appointment.” He orders his stack and tucks it into a portfolio under his arm. “Doctor Linda had a cancellation at 9, and offered to plug me in to see if she can help me with some of these Faultless loops. Would you- would you like to attend with me?”

“No… No, that’s alright.” She’s tempted. Probably too tempted, which strengthens her resolve to refuse. His face falls a bit, and she quickly suggests a compromise. “How about this: We can ride together? I’ll drop you off for your consult, do my errands, then we can come back here and spend the day together?”

“Detective, that sounds absolutely sublime. Having you to myself for nearly the entire day? So many choices…” His smirk is beyond suggestive and Chloe blushes, but maintains eye contact.

“Okay then, I’ll go get dressed and we can head out.” She jogs up the stairs and Lucifer retreats to the kitchen to make a couple of coffees to-go. When she returns to the living room, he is waiting by the door, coffee extended with a welcoming smile. She takes the travel mug and pecks him on the cheek as they breeze out the door.

********************************

“Doctor!” Lucifer strides excitedly through the office door, leather portfolio in hand and eager to begin.

“Good morning, Lucifer.” Linda greets him quietly, folding away her notes from her previous patient’s visit and locking it in her desk. “I realize you haven’t had much time to get started on those scenarios, but when I had the cancellation, I thought…”

“Oh, on the contrary, Doctor! I’ve got quite a few of them jotted down here for you, and can have more for you before my next visit downstairs.” Linda’s eyes widen at the enormous stack of papers he pulls from the folio as he continues blindly, “I’ve tried to keep them grouped into similar types of situations, in case that helps you. Maybe you can come up with a better system once you’ve had a chance to peruse? I want to make this as easy on you as possible, and of course there’s no question of you billing me for your very valuable time…”

“Lucifer-“ she stops and swallows, trying to wet her suddenly dry mouth. “That’s practically an entire ream of paper- how many Faultless loops did you say there were?”

“Well, I’ve never counted them, of course…” He continues slowly, unsure what her reservations are. “But they’ve been accruing since the dawn of time, you see, and I’ve had quite a lot of time to dwell on them… as dear old Dad’s unreasonable system is one of my favorite subjects to rant about, and all.”

“Lucifer, I had no idea there would be so many…” She trails off, thinking. “Okay. Let’s get started, and I’ll see what I can come up with to expedite some solutions. Do you have these prioritized at all?”

“Only by how they came to mind, which is the length of time they’ve been stuck there.” His face falls as another wave of frustration washes over him at his helplessness in this situation, but he can’t lose focus. “We can maybe just start at the top?” Linda can only nod.

Forty-five minutes later, Linda has come up with basic beginning steps for three of the scenario types that Lucifer has presented for her. The stack of untouched loops is daunting, and Linda starts skimming through them, her mind not really taking in the information, just looking for patterns.

“Lucifer, these are incredibly detailed. How much time have you spent in these loops, that you have this many case studies neatly laid out less than 18 hours since you started the list?”

“Well, you know about the time difference between planes, Doctor. The entire history of humanity is long enough topside, but it’s far longer downstairs. I’ve really had nothing but time, and fair little to obsess over. These “case studies”, as you call them, are glaringly visible to me since guilt is what I was designed to detect and punish.”

 _Case studies. Oh my stars, that’s it._ Her brain freezes, and her body with it, looking up at Lucifer with wide eyes.

“It’s not as though Hell has a Happy Hour that I could go enjoy every now and-- Doctor? Are you all right?”

“Case studies!” Linda’s smile breaks incandescently across her face, sun from behind clouds. “Lucifer, these are _case studies!_ ”

“Yeeeess…” He replies slowly, as though he’s afraid he’s broken her again. “And that’s a good thing?”

“I think I’ve come up with a plan to speed up our planning. My students!”

“Your students.”

“Yes! My psychology students, at USC! I can assign them to create treatment plans for some of these scenarios, and then I can tweak them as needed! These are all very basic, common situations that people seek therapy for, Lucifer- It’s only the sheer number and little differing details that will take the most time to sort out. My students need to form treatment plans for case studies as part of their courses anyway, so this will kill two birds with one stone!”

“Oh, and take a good part of the crush off of your shoulders! I approve of your use of your minions, Doctor, good show!” His eyes light up, but uncertainty crowds in. “Are you quite sure they’re up to the challenge?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to look them over carefully before I pass along any plans to you. Our hour is almost done. Why don’t you take these three we’ve managed to plot out, and- are you comfortable leaving the rest with me? My next class is tomorrow afternoon and I likely won’t have any real quantities of solutions ready for you until next week, but I can keep chipping away at the stack myself until the assignments come back to me, and those will give you _something_ to start with…”

“My dear Doctor, _anything_ you can provide will be more help than I’ve been able to provide these souls in the millennia I’ve been trying.” He bounces to his feet and reaches across her table and squeezes her hand. “You are absolutely _brilliant,_ and I am deeply indebted to you, my friend.”

Her cheeks flush pink and a burble of relieved laughter escapes her, feeling giddy at even the possibility of helping people that have been punishing themselves for literally thousands of years.

_How many therapists can say that? Have had that opportunity??_

She forces herself to settle, and take a deep breath. _Easy there girl, let’s see if this actually works before you go getting all self-righteous. First things first: Treatment plans._

It isn't until she's halfway into her next session before she realizes she had meant to bring up the visit from Gabriel.

_*************************************_

Chloe drops off Lucifer at Linda’s office, and forces herself to drive away without watching him saunter inside. She calls the precinct to confirm her appointment tomorrow afternoon for the psych review while she’s shopping for groceries, and successfully resists the urge to text Lucifer when she sees that his favorite Cool Ranch Puffs are on sale. She tosses a couple of bags in the cart, as a surprise. She passes the cereal aisle without turning down it, though she knows Trixie will whine about missing her sugary “breakfast” food. Chloe is pretty sure Trix has been suffering from sugar withdrawal since Maze went to stay with Linda and Amenadiel. She’ll have to remember to talk to Lucifer about limiting the enormous chocolate cakes. A smile crosses her face at the memory of the delighted expression on Lucifer’s face at how excited Trixie had been when that monstrosity had been deposited on their table.

She’s lost in that memory, reaching for a loaf of cinnamon raisin bread when her hand closes around a stranger’s, apparently reaching for the same product.

“Oh!” She pulls back as though burned, “I’m so sorry, I wasn’t paying the slightest--“

“It is quite all right, miss.” The mellow voice soothes her immediately, and she glances up to meet bright hazel eyes, topped with a tousled, tawny mop of hair. His smile is serene, and Chloe wonders if he’s just come from a meditation class, or if he’s just high. A closer look at his eyes and she returns his smile. Not high, then, just… zen. “The fault was mine, I should have exercised patience.”

“Well, there’s plenty for both of us, I suppose. Sorry again, see ya around.” Chloe moves off down the aisle, fighting the urge to look back as she rubs her fingers together. She feels like she just shook hands with someone wearing one of those trick buzzers.

_Weird._

She catches glimpses of him a couple more times as she finishes her shopping, but he doesn’t approach or speak to her, and she breathes a small sigh of relief he’s nowhere to be seen as she gets in the car.

 _Calm down, Decker. It’s not the first time you’ve met a weird person in public. This is LA, after all._ Then she snickers to herself. How many times did she use that excuse to convince herself that Lucifer wasn't all _that_ crazy, before she knew the truth of him?

She checks her phone and realizes she has just enough time to get back to Linda’s office to pick up Lucifer. She flicks on the radio and hums along as she drives, still rubbing her oddly tingling fingers together on the wheel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, another short one - but at least this one has some plot! I don't know that I can say about the next one, or maybe even two. *sigh* I know what they're planning, but I don't know why they're making me write it down!


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Terribly sorry. No plot here. Explicit rating applies. Please feel free to skip this chapter.

Chloe pulls into Linda’s office parking lot just in time to see Lucifer exit the building and look around. His grin is wide as she pulls up to the pickup lane at the curb in front of him.

“Need a ride, Mister?”

“Indeed I do, my dear.” His eyebrow arches wickedly, “Anywhere you like.”

Chloe laughs and unlocks the passenger door, not that Lucifer needs her to. He settles into the passenger seat and they both lean in for a kiss over the middle console. An impatient horn honks behind them and Chloe startles back upright in her seat, putting the sedan in drive and heading back out of the lot.

“How was the consult? Make any progress?”

“Well, an hour isn’t much time, but we’ve got a small start. And the good Doctor came up with an ingenious plan to speed the results along!” he practically crows.

“Hey, that sounds promising!” She reaches out a hand and he takes it in his. “Want to tell me about it?”

The rest of the drive back to the apartment consists of Lucifer excitedly explaining Linda’s idea to portion out the treatment plans to her students for practice, and going through the notes she provided him with for the first few loops. Chloe nods along, asking for clarification here and there. Lucifer’s eyes are alight with hope, his hand in hers is shaking with eagerness, and he’s nearly glowing. Chloe can barely keep her eyes off of him to drive.

She makes it back to the apartment without incident and they make their way inside, Lucifer still obliviously rattling on about more “case studies” he needs to get down on paper for Linda. Chloe smiles as he automatically toes off his shoes and removes his jacket, heading back to the bar to his blank papers. She does the same and follows him to the kitchen, trailing her fingers across his shoulders as she passes close behind him on her way to the sink to do the breakfast dishes. He gives an appreciative murmur at her touch.

A few minutes later as she’s finishing up, he brushes against her on his way to a coffee refill.

The remainder of the morning passes this way, completing tiny tasks interspersed with murmurs and lingering, affectionate touches. Finally, Chloe runs out of chores and sits next to Lucifer at the bar. She pulls the steadily growing stack of papers to her and peruses them, muttering under her breath.

“Hm?” His head snaps up from his writing. “Sorry, darling, what was that?”

“Nothing, I was just- how can you remember this many details about so many loops?” She shakes her head, overwhelmed

“A couple of reasons.” He sits up, stretching his arms back and above his head, and Chloe takes a moment to appreciate the way the fabric of his shirt strains across his broad chest. “One, angelic memory involves near-perfect recall when it’s focused. And two, _familiarity_. These are loops that have intrigued me for literal ages, Detective. They have frustrated me to no end, and as you know, I do not _like_ feeling helpless.” He turns on his stool to face her, and his face stills as his eyes go distant, hooded. His mind flashes back to the last time he’d felt truly helpless, at the Mayan.

_A legion of human bodies possessed by demons surrounded her petite frame, hands clutching, pulling her back as her hand reached toward him, calling his name. The look of terror in her eyes as he assumed his new, monstrous form and commanded them back to Hell, followed by the sheer relief in them when he resumed his angelic form. They must have a King. He cannot stay._

She sees his retreat, and stands to close the small distance between them. Her hand cups his face, bridging the gap to bring him back to the present- back to her- where she will fight with all she has to keep him. His eyes clear at her touch, and he leans into her palm before turning his head and ghosting a kiss against her life line. She brings her other hand to caress the back of his neck, and leans into him to press a feather-light kiss against his lips.

“Good thing it’s not something you have to deal with often, then, hm?” She whispers as she pulls away.

“Oh, Detective.” A smile crosses his face as he chases her lips, “I have been helpless against you from the very beginning. It’s become frustratingly familiar… though at least in this one instance, strangely enjoyable.”

She dives into him, pressing forward so her hips are between his thighs, her chest flush with his. Even seated on the stool he’s taller than she is ( _still not fair!)_ , but not by so much that it’s uncomfortable. This kiss is not languid, or shy, and his delighted hum of pleasure against her is eager, even as he lets her lead the way.

Her hands move to his shirt buttons, quickly parting them so her hands can travel the expanse of freckled skin unhindered. Their lips move fervently together as her hands explore between skin and expensive cotton, over the muscles of his chest then down his sides. When she trails a path of light scratches up his back, his hands grip her hips, pulling her tighter against him with a moan resounding in his throat and she feels a bolt of heat inside as she feels the shape of his erection pressed against her stomach. He pulls away, panting, and she buries a whine against the skin of his throat.

“Detective-“

“Bedroom?” She asks, hopefully.

“Bedroom.” He agrees. They lock eyes for a moment, and Chloe suddenly grins.

“Race ya!” She cries, giggling, and bolts toward the stairs in her socks. Lucifer gapes after her for a moment, an incredulous smile spreading across his face as he watches her run, then takes off gleefully after her like a hound after a fox. He catches up to her on the stairs and scoops her up on the way, both laughing until they collapse on her mattress, giggling and scattering breathless kisses. Chloe pulls away and sits up, pulling her shirt over her head then squeaking in surprise as Lucifer tugs her gently back down against him. He draws a line down her throat with his lips, huffing a laugh against her skin as she rolls back and tugs him with her so she can shove his shirt off his shoulders. Her hands slide the fabric away as he braces himself against the mattress with one arm, then the other as he shucks off his open shirt, lips never leaving her body. She trails her fingernails down his naked back and that moan that set her on fire downstairs makes another appearance, this time set free to fan across the heated skin at the hollow of her shoulder where his mouth is currently resting. He flexes his body against her in an undulating motion, pressing her into the mattress in a most satisfying way. She pulls in a shallow breath at the hard length of him burning against her thigh, even with layers of fabric still between them. He’s trailing open kisses along her shoulder, stopping to nibble and lap at the bullet scar from their first case. She turns her head to trace the shell of his ear with the tip of her tongue and he sighs against her skin. His hand slides beneath her shoulders and she feels her bra come free; he slides the straps off her despite seeming to hardly move his hands. His lips navigate down her sternum and he pauses to nuzzle between her breasts, the raspy brush of his stubble eliciting a moan from Chloe as she brings her fingers up the back of his neck into the hair at the nape. He stills, exhaling a warm breath against her skin as his fingers flex against her back.

“Lucifer?” She whispers when he remains still, threading her fingers up into his hair. “You okay?”

“Never better, Detective.” His voice is muffled, as his mouth is still pressed in the hollow between her breasts. “Do you have any plans for the rest of the day?”

“Well, there’s really only one extremely important thing that I need to do.” He tenses as she trails a hand down his side, slides it between them, and her nimble fingers start loosening his belt.

“If that thing is not _me,”_ he growls _,_ “then _we_ are going to have a scheduling conflict, darling.”

She strokes him through the fabric of his trousers and feels his hips twitch automatically toward her. “It’s a very good thing that you _are_ the only plans I had for today then, hm?”

“Lovely.” He whispers against her. “Because I fully intend that by the time we are done here,” he rocks his hips against her thigh, “neither one of us will have the energy to move for a while.”

“Then what are we waiting for?” her voice is low and teasing, and she manages to unfasten his trousers in the frozen moment before they both start into motion. Chloe focuses on removing their remaining clothing, dexterous hands shoving away any remaining fabric from both of them until the only thing between them is air, but even that is too much. Lucifer’s hands and lips seem to be everywhere- trailing paths of fire across her skin as her fingernails trace similar pleasant paths along his scalp as she threads them through his hair. He stops to swoop his tongue along the ticklish spot at her navel and she pulls a low groan from him by tightening her knuckles in his hair. She giggles as he rubs his scruff along the spot, wriggling against him and causing him to buck his hips slightly against the mattress to appease himself. Swiftly he moves lower, trying to hold to his waning patience with his remaining will. Every movement she makes against him is exquisite torture that he both can’t wait to complete yet also wishes to stretch for eternity. His fingers find the seam of her sex, and she whimpers as they gently slide along it before dipping slowly into the smooth wet heat inside. His lips leave a path of heat with open kisses along the inside of her thighs and the tickle of his stubble has her fighting the urge to giggle as tension and fire pool into a swirling vortex in her gut. His fingers stroke her, then she feels him settle there, his breath warm against her folds as his tongue slowly laves a path along her.

A cry escapes her and he pulls back with a hungry growl.

“ _Yes_ , Chloe, let me hear you,” another swipe of his tongue, “ _please.”_

“Lucifer-“ she can only breathe his name between panting gasps.

His tongue darts and laps, painting wide strokes of glorious pressure interspersed with deep, penetrating licks before his lips fasten over that quivering bundle of nerves and he gives a gentle suckle, undulating his tongue against it and pulling a keening wail from her as the writhing vortex inside her erupts into a supernova, sending sparks of flame rushing through her body and locking her muscles into trembling, fluttering ecstasy.

His mouth is relentless, his tongue caressing her bud as she grinds her hips against him. Two of his fingers move from stroking to probing inside her as muscles clench around them in rippling contractions. They slide easily in and out with dexterity gained from hundreds of years of piano practice, and she cries out his name again with an intense aftershock at his maneuvers. Finally, the ripples fade and he pulls away to allow her recovery, his hand cupping her sex tenderly and fingers taking a last, shallow swipe along her seam.

He settles beside her on the mattress, and she reads the languid satisfaction on his face as he takes in her state of disarray. She smiles up at him, reaching out a hand to caress his cheek, thumb tracing along his lips, still wet from her orgasm. He removes his hand from her sex and uses her slickness as he slowly strokes himself with it. She watches his hand move upon his member and feels the tension start to coil again in her stomach. When she glances back up, she sees the banked fires of desire in his eyes, waiting patiently to bring her back up to where she longs to be.

She reaches up and pulls him down to her, feeling his surprised exclamation expelled against her lips as he huffs a gentle laugh through his nose at her unexpected movement. It quickly evolves into a heady groan as her hand cups his on his shaft as the other grips the back of his neck tightly. His free hand closes on her hip, pulling her closer but not pressing against her. She moves her lower hand up along his body, gliding her open palm along his taut abdominal muscles and across his chest.

With an effort, Chloe pulls her lips from his, and starts to explore his face. She trails the tip of her tongue over the shell of his ear then catches the lobe between her teeth in a gentle nibble, inspiring a jolt of arousal and a rumble of approval from his throat. He removes his hand from his member and brings it up to caress the side of her throat, running his thumb along the soft skin under her jaw as her lips trace along his own jawline, pausing at the scar below the point of his chin. 

"What's this from?" She murmurs against his scruff, curious. The only other scar he's got is the tiny one from his stabbing, and the ones he used to have from his wings.

"My brother," he grumbles. She gathers that this is not a topic for now and moves on, completing her tour of his jawline by briefly suckling his other earlobe.

Chloe moves her lips down his throat and Lucifer rolls his head back with an uninhibited moan of pleasure that sends little threads of pleasure shooting through her. He’s not at all shy about his appreciative noises and she flushes as her body responds to the sounds he makes. She presses her palms against his chest then under his arms to his shoulders, trailing her fingers down his back and pulling him close. As the tip of her tongue traces his collarbones his large hands migrate to her breasts, fingers expertly massaging and rolling her sensitive nipples until she moans against his skin, sending her warm breath over the path her tongue has taken. He shivers with need, and she feels him press against her.

“Chloe,” His voice is strained, raspy with the effort it takes to keep his control. She recognizes it, part plea, part warning. It pulls that tension inside tighter, and she slides one leg up the outside of his, feeling him tense against her.

“Protection?” She whispers against his throat.

“Of course.” His chuckle is tight, as if it needs to fight its way past Chloe’s lips on his skin. She whines as he pulls away to reach into the bedside table, and he quickly produces a foil wrapper that he makes short work of opening. She helps him roll it up his length and his indrawn breath hisses at her gentle touch. She rolls back onto the mattress, tugging him with her. He settles to one side, and a look of confusion crosses her face until he leans in to kiss her, his hand resting gently against her neck. It moves down her body, and she feels those familiar fiery fingers rippling out from its path like the spreading wake from a passing ship. Waves of desire eddy and crest, shifting and sparkling in his light. Her thighs part for him as his hand finds her, fingers gentle. 

“Luc-“ she begins to protest

“Shh, love, worry not,” his lips press gently to hers again and she can feel his smile before he pulls back. “Just… testing the waters, so to speak. Ooh yes, you’re lovely, darling.” She whimpers as he pulls hand away, and he loses no time moving into position over her. He holds his weight with one arm and a knee, while his free hand carefully frames her face. Their eyes meet and hold, each recognizing their emotion in the other. Lucifer slowly lowers his body, his fathomless eyes unblinking on hers. He reaches between them to position himself, and they both whine at the near contact.

“Chloe-“

“Lucifer, _yes,”_ she rolls her hips against him and then he’s moving, and she has no words.

He begins slowly, like a landslide. Her breath leaves her in a sibilant hiss as he gradually fills her, as though there’s no room for air once she is filled with him. He slides into her gently, her muscles are still loosened and warm from her previous orgasm and she stretches to accommodate him with a sigh of contentment. Breathing catches, but neither looks away as he moves deeper into her with each careful, shallow thrust until he’s fully sheathed inside.

_It feels like being home for the very first time._

His thumb strokes her cheekbone, her hand moves up to mirror his, and their stillness is absolute for a timeless moment. There is no city, no world, no universe outside of themselves. _Nothing_ exists here but she and he, and they are utterly caught in a pocket of their own creation. Gravity suddenly manifests between them, and their lips meet, stillness forgotten as they begin to move together. With each slow thrust Chloe’s hips rise to meet him, her hands freely roaming his back and shoulders, reaching down to caress his ass and pull him even closer. Her throaty moans bubble up and echo into his mouth as they surge together and send fires coursing through his veins. His rhythm picks up, their skin sliding together with a thin sheen of sweat and soon both are breathing hard enough that their kiss is broken. They press forward, panting cheek to cheek and Lucifer moves to press open-mouth kisses against her neck. The sound she makes sends a flush of heat over his entire body and he groans into the hollow of her shoulder. He can feel her muscles tightening around him and his thrusting becomes irregular as control starts to slip from him. He brings a hand between them, and brushes the pad of his thumb across that throbbing bundle of nerves as he adjusts the angle of his thrust slightly upward and rocks firmly into her. Chloe cries out, her fingernails biting into his shoulders and they both tumble over the edge of orgasm together. Each has nothing but the other’s name on their lips, all endearments and encouragements forgotten- the only importance is that they are here together, both falling, each being caught by the other and borne aloft by wings of sparkling starbursts.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again I offer apologies. New lovers with years of longing to catch up on, amIright? There is some actual plot here, but not 'til nearly the end: watch for the asterisks. I'm afraid we start with more smut, and the plot arrives after the break, so please do feel free to skip up that part. Again, appreciation for any tag suggestions, since I'm terrible at it.

They lay motionless but for trembling bodies and gasping breaths, Lucifer still buried inside her and as promised, both quite unwilling to move. After a moment he kisses her temple and moves to pull out and away, but Chloe tightens her limbs around him, making a negative noise. She feels him twitch inside her at her movement and she sighs, unwilling to let him move away yet.

“Darling,” he chuckles quietly, interspersing kisses from her ear down her jawline,“we are far from done here, I can promise you that. But I’m afraid I need a moment- I’d like to clean us up and this poor johnny needs to go.”

She tightens her legs around him once more then releases him, melting into a boneless puddle beneath him as he pulls himself from her with a sound that starts as a groan and ends as a sigh. Lucifer rolls off the bed and trots jauntily to the bathroom, and she immediately feels chilled at the absence of his furnace heat. She hears running water and stands shakily to pull back her covers and curl loosely beneath them, smiling into her pillow at the happiness currently thrilling through her body.

 _We actually managed it. I wonder if Hell is frozen now…_ A bark of laughter escapes as a memory surfaces.

 _“Let me make myself perfectly clear. I… will never, ever,_ ever _sleep with you._ Never. _Okay? Got it?”_

_Well. People change._

“What’s funny, darling?” Lucifer re-enters the room, still unabashedly (and gloriously) nude and carrying a glass of water and a damp cloth. He smiles when she pulls back the blankets for him, and offers her his items. She takes both gratefully, setting the glass down on the table and removing the sticky residue from between her legs before setting aside the cloth and taking a sip of the water. Lucifer crosses the foot of the bed and crawls under the covers with her, his warmth enveloping her as he molds himself against her back and wraps her in his arms. His nose rests against the nape of her neck and she feels him inhale her scent as he presses his lips there tenderly. The harsh California midday light is mellowed by the thick curtains over her windows, and they curl together in a haze of softness.

“I was just thinking about a conversation we had, back when we were first working together.”

“Mm.” He doesn’t remove his lips from her skin but rather whispers his words against it. “Wondering if I’ll have a bit of frostbite when I next return from Hell, were you?” She laughs at him, and feels his chuckle rumbling in his chest as his arms tighten around her waist. “Well, as I told you then, while I could in fact _arrange_ that situation if you had required it as a condition for coming to bed with me… I confess I am a creature that much prefers warmth.”

“Mmhm, I have noticed that about you.” She relaxes back into him, humming contentedly. His lips brush against the skin of her neck and shoulder languidly, and they both slip into a light doze.

Chloe awakens a short time later, flushed and in a state of high arousal. It’s not hard to determine why: Lucifer’s body is still pressed to hers, and is wielding an impressive erection wedged between them. Before she’s fully awake she can feel her hips moving against him, and a somnolent moan emanates from behind her as his body responds to her movements. He moves sinuously against her and she cries out as the heat surges in her belly. The sound snaps them both fully awake, and he freezes immediately.

“Detective, I didn’t-“ his voice is the same throaty rasp that he always has in the mornings, and this time she has every intention of enjoying it fully. She flexes her back against him and the rest of that sentence stutters into a sonorous groan. He breathes into her ear, “Chloe, are you awake?”

“Oh, I am definitely _awake_.” He chuffs a laugh against her neck, as his lips fasten there, nipping just below her ear before swiping his tongue across to soothe it. His hand slides down her stomach and they both draw a sharp breath when his fingers find her wet.

 _“Lucifer…”_ His name is a plea on her lips, and she keens as he removes his hand to reach back into the nightstand for another wrapper. She shares his urgency as he moves quickly to cover himself and also the sigh of relief when the head of him presses at her entrance. He holds there for a moment, his body tensing and gathering his will to move slowly. A sound of protest at his stillness wrenches itself from her throat, and she rocks her hips back into him. His control disintegrates and he seats himself in her with one firm thrust. She cries out his name in rapture, clenching around him as he stills, allowing her time to adjust to this new angle, this new feeling of fullness before he starts to move. When he feels her loosen a little, he pulls back slowly and pushes back inside, bodies flush together and moaning in pleasure. She starts to writhe against him.

“Lucifer, I need…” her voice is keening, her arousal upon awakening only heightened now. She’s already too far gone to take it slow, and he follows willingly. He increases his rhythm, the slick sounds of their movement together broken by their ragged breathing, soft sounds of pleasure, and the occasional muted slap of their bodies meeting in a thrust.

His hands grip her hips and she bucks against him, wordlessly demanding more. He responds by thrusting a bit harder and she moans in encouragement. Her hand moves up behind her to grasp the back of his neck, she turns her head and pulls him forward and they meet in an open kiss. Small whining sounds gather in the back of her throat as they surge together, the molten ball of heat slowly expanding in her belly as she feels his body tightening against her. He moves hard and fast inside her, and he moves one hand back down, applying the faintest brushing touches against her clit and she stiffens as if electrified, keening against his lips. He surges ferociously against her, greedily swallowing her cries and offering his own throbbing exhortations in return as her climax takes flight, spiraling around him as an explosive release. She grinds against him and he can’t last any longer, eagerly chasing her into his own orgasm with a deep thrust, pulsing inside her as her muscles contract and tremble around him.

 _“Chloe-_ ” her name explodes from his throat with the force of a falling star, and before she’s even come down from her high she’s soaring again on the back of another climax as the throbbing inside her intensifies further.

Slowly, they descend from the incandescent heights they’ve driven each other to. They remain locked in blissful stillness, only interrupted by the faint trembling of their still-coupled bodies and the occasional tiny movement of their hips as they ride out the remaining vestiges of their pleasure.

“Lucifer,” Chloe’s voice is a thready, wavering whisper, unable to draw the energy to project anything more. She doesn’t continue the thought.

“Chloe.” His voice quietly agrees. They don’t need words for this, this awareness. This deep resonance of all that is _right_ and _theirs_. Of this sensation of _home_ and _belonging_.

After a while, Chloe allows him to pull away and make another cleanup trip. She folds the cloth from before and cleans herself again. Lucifer returns to the room with his robe thrown over himself and chuckles as her stomach suddenly loudly announces its emptiness.

“Well, that confirms my suspicion, darling. I was about to suggest we take a sustenance break, as you haven’t eaten anything since this morning, and it’s into the early afternoon by this point.” Another grumble from the bed affirms his statement, and Chloe laughs at herself. “Not to worry, Detective, I am an excellent workout regimen, and I can promise you that – if you are willing- we will most certainly be burning more calories later.”

She feigns offense at his statement of her concern for caloric intake – he’s the one that constantly scoffs at her nutritional choices in the vending machine sandwiches, after all- but doesn’t turn down his offer to cook. She leans over the mattress to locate her pajamas, and dresses quickly. Her legs tremble a little as she stands, and Lucifer is nearby to catch her when she wobbles.

“I did warn you, darling, about the walking-“

“You did, you did.” She laughs helplessly against his shoulder, and he flamboyantly scoops her up and carries her, protesting, downstairs to deposit her at the bar.

He rummages through her supplies, and within a few minutes a grilled cheese sandwich is steaming on the plate in front of her, with a second merrily sizzling in the frying pan. Chloe inhales her sandwich, and Lucifer laughingly hands her the second as well – after claiming a bite for himself. He makes a third sandwich and eyes her warily as he takes the seat next to her with his plate. She makes a show of taking dainty bites out of the remainder of her meal, then delivers her plate to the sink. She comes back to stand next to Lucifer’s seat, reaching up to brush some bread crumbs from his stubble with a smirk. He grins at her, and she quickly steals the last bit of his sandwich and retreats to the living room couch to enjoy her spoils as he grouses good-naturedly from the kitchen. She hears glass clinking and Lucifer joins her on the couch with a tumbler of scotch, and glass of wine for her. They relax on the couch leaning against each other, and Chloe pulls up an old TV show she had remembered and downloaded after Lucifer left.

“Castle?” he queries, “What, is it like Game of Thrones?”

“No,” she laughs. “I liked this show before I met you. After you left, I came across it again and I’ve been watching it on repeat since. I think you’ll like it.”

He likes it. About halfway into the pilot his tumbler is empty and he lays down on the couch with his head pillowed in Chloe’s lap. They watch several episodes, and Lucifer goes online to order the DVD box set.

“Do you think I should get a Kevlar vest that says ‘Devil’ on it?” He asks, probably only half-joking.

“I’d really prefer if you just didn’t get shot anymore. Or stabbed. Kevlar only works if you’re shot somewhere it’s covering-“

“I know.” He interrupts, his hand traveling up to rest over the spot on her chest where Cain’s bullet had landed, nearly missing the thin vest she’d had hidden under her shirt.

“-and I’m pretty sure they don’t make _wing armor_.” She continues over his interjection.

He arches an eyebrow at her, and she returns the gesture. “I suppose you’re right... though really, I’ve only needed the wings once in 4 years, and I’ve been shot many times, so it might still be a sound investment.”

“Would you actually wear it?” she gives him a wry smile, her fingers working through his curls. “You seem pretty fond of your daily attire.”

“Mm.. good point, Detective. Trying to get one to fit under a suit would just ruin the lines, and the others are just so… blocky.” He shudders dramatically. “It’s worth a bit of blood and a ruined suit now and again.”

Chloe chuckles, unsurprised at the conclusion of this conversation, and continues to thread her fingers through her partner’s hair. He closes his eyes and hums contentedly, eventually turning to bury his face in her stomach, his arms snaking around her waist. His warm breath suffuses the fabric of her shirt and his nose burrows under the hem, his lips brushing lazily along skin above the waistband of her pajama shorts.

His hair has become a glorious mess from all the times her fingers have carded through it today. She keeps one hand in his hair and the other traces random patterns on his back over his silk robe. The afternoon (then evening) passes this way, the two of them touching, exploring, and above all _enjoying_ each other. Lucifer delights in Chloe's playful enthusiasm, and Chloe revels in having him _here, with her._

“Darling, if you’re going to continue this incredibly enjoyable pattern of waking me this way, we’re going to need to relocate to Lux for more supplies.” He chuckles as he hurriedly rolls on the last condom from the box he had brought, after them waking together- again- in a delicious state of arousal. It’s as though their bodies are just as determined to make up for lost time and opportunities as they are themselves.

He settles himself back against the headboard, leading Chloe up and across and settling her hips above his. His hands glide up over her thighs and the swell of her hips and stop at the small of her back. Her eyes are wide and darkened with want, hands traveling across his broad chest and shoulders. She leans in and nuzzles the hollow of his shoulder, kissing her way up his throat and pulling an enticing moan from him.

“I’m okay with that,” she whispers when her lips reach his ear, and grins as he shivers in anticipation. She reaches her hand down to stroke his erection gently – he definitely wasn’t overstating the many times he’d asserted his incredible stamina!- and slowly lowers herself onto him, his hands tightening at her waist as she surrounds him.

She’s starting to learn the exploration process. Her sex life has never been adventurous, and he is well aware of that fact. He hasn’t hinted at anything that has made her even the slightest bit uncomfortable, but has given her options that she didn’t know existed, things she had never thought to try. Different positions created different angles of entry, which result in slightly different stimulation. This one, with them sitting upright and him inside her reminds her of a dream- actually, her _first_ dream of them together, after that kiss on the beach. She moves her hands up to his forehead, raking his scalp gently with her fingernails and he closes his eyes in pleasure as they start to rock together. A vision of Maze sitting in the chair in the corner of her room with popcorn pops into her mind, startling a burst of laughter from her.

His eyes pop open and a grin starts to spread across his face. “Hello, Detective, what’s this about?”

“No-nothing,” she stutters, face flushing crimson and eyes widening.

 _“Oh_ , no, that’s not an acceptable answer, my dear.” A wicked gleam comes into his eyes and his grin spreads. “Would you mind rephrasing your answer?”

“I just- remembered something, a dream.” She prevaricates.

“Mmm. Do go on, darling.” His hips flex into her with a rolling motion and a whine escapes her lips.

“You remember… the beach?” she manages to pull in a deep breath despite how full she feels with him moving deep inside her. His eyes soften, and he leans in to brush his lips along her throat as he makes an assenting noise. “I… had a dream that night, after I came home… of you and me.”

“Oooh, _did_ you now?” A gentle nip below her ear, immediately soothed by his tongue. “Continue…”

“We wound up on the couch at the penthouse, in this position. I was… running my hands over your scars-“ she slides her hands up over the now-smooth skin of his back “- and when I moved to kiss you, you had… um… you had horns.”

He stills, eyes locked on hers. “And you woke screaming?”

A smile spreads across her face. “Um.. no. I, uh, I liked it. You called them your ‘love handles’, and I held onto them, and we-“ here she flexes her hips against him and they moan in harmony.

“And the laugh just now?”

“I… woke up before we could really, um, and… Maze was in my bedroom, watching.”

A deep bout of laughter shakes his entire body, and the sensation of him twitching inside her with the movement of it distracts them both. Suddenly, they are both moving with single-minded purpose, rocking and pulling one another to reach that coveted goal. He lifts his hips underneath her, lifting her with him and her squeal of surprise turns into a keen of release as he pulses against her inner walls. He lowers them both back to bed and they continue to move together, lips locked together between ragged gasps as they soothe each other through the ripples that follow. He folds himself around her as she collapses into him, and they hold each other. Quiet endearments flow from both their lips, punctuated by slow caresses and unhurried kisses. Her head is resting on his chest and she feels the rumble of his suppressed chuckle. She can already guess what’s coming.

“So, Maze caught you out having a naughty dream about us, hm?”

“She did. She even had a bag of popcorn, so who knows how long she’d actually been watching me.”

He laughs harder and she feels the movement below, where they are still joined. He feels it too, and looks down. “Mm, yes, best do something about that. Apologies, love, but I fear I’m in need of another cleanup.”

“Shower?” She asks innocently.

“Detective!” He purrs, pleased. “Are you suggesting that it’s _later_ , again?”

“Mmm.. possibly.”

“If I may make the suggestion, then… the penthouse shower is far superior in size _and_ water heater size. So… field trip?” He gives her his best impression of puppy eyes, but she’s already sold on the idea.

*************************

Forty-five minutes later they’re making out in the elevator on their way up to the penthouse.

Chloe had started laughing again when they set foot in the lift, and of course Lucifer had convinced her to explain- which led right back to that damned dream.

“Detective,” he had purred, as her face flushed crimson, “I am learning so _many_ things about you today!” He leans into her, pressing her against the lift wall and rumbling in her ear, _“I like it._ ”

He had kissed her then, up against the wall in an echo of that dream, and they had only heeded the chime announcing their arrival at their destination by staggering together out the lift doors without bothering to separate from each other.

Chloe was so sure that Lucifer would head for the couch that she stumbles a little when he steers them past it. He catches her effortlessly, steadying her.

“Are you all right, Detective? Oh, I should get the food from the lift, here, please sit.”

He lowers her onto a chair and darts back to the elevator, retrieving the burgers they had picked up from a 24-hour drive thru on their way to Lux.

“My apologies, Detective, you must be famished.”

“No, Lucifer, I’m fine.” He lifts an admonishing eyebrow at her and she corrects, “I mean, yes, I’m hungry, but I’m not in any danger of passing out. I just… that stupid dream, I thought we were headed for the couch.”

He manages _not_ to laugh, but Chloe can see the mirth shining in his dark eyes, and knows it’s a very near thing. He winks at her. “As you’ve said yourself, Detective, you’ve seen _all_ my ugly bits now, and I would hate to disappoint you by failing to manifest horns.”

Her face flushes even further. “Can we _please_ stop talking about that damn dream now?” And now he _does_ laugh, a full, deep-seated peal of laughter that she’s rarely been able to enjoy.

“As you desire, my love, the subject is dropped.” He slides his hand over his face, trying to wipe away the smile, and failing miserably. “Now, then- food first?” He states it as a question, but treats it as fact, setting their meal out on the coffee table in front of them.

Chloe snags her burger and curls up in her chair groaning she takes her first delicious greasy mouthful. Lucifer watches her with a smile on his face as he polishes off his fries before starting on his own burger.

He is finished and has started clearing the wrappers by the time Chloe decides she can’t eat the last few bites of hers. He shrugs and she laughs as he polishes it off for her, stating he’s claiming recompense for his stolen grilled cheese over lunch. He brings her a glass of water from the kitchen which she gratefully accepts, and pours himself a tumbler of scotch, settling into the chair next to hers.

“How are you feeling, Detective?” He leans forward in his seat, forearms braced on his knees as his dark eyes watch hers.

“Fine?” she tilts her head, puzzled at the concern in his tone. “A little full, but that will settle soon enough. Why?”

“Well, I… admit that I’ve been fairly certain you’ve enjoyed our time together today, but…” and here a look of hesitant uncertainty crosses his face, “I wanted to make sure you know that you certainly don’t need to- to put on a show for me, or exhaust yourself trying to keep up with my- well, my capabilities.”

“Lucifer, I’m not sure what you’re trying to say.” She reaches over and takes his hand, rubbing her thumb over the back of it. “Spending today with you like this has been absolutely amazing. You _being here with me_ still sometimes feel like it’s not real, so this… this- I don’t have the words for it.”

 _One of the best days of my life_ is what she very carefully doesn’t say. She knows how all those interviews affected him, and though it may be a truth, it is not _the_ truth that she wants him to take away from this conversation.

“I have wanted _us_ for so long now, and now that you’re here again, _we_ feel like…” Hmm.. she can’t use Heaven as a comparison, he hates it there. ‘Dream come true’ is off the table due to recent discussions. She squeezes his hand. “We feel like _home_ , Lucifer.”

She gazes back at him and her heart twists as she recognizes the face that he shows her. It’s the same face from the balcony, the night he left. Eyes shining, a faint crease of the brows in bafflement with an incredulous smile faltering at the corners of his lips, like he wants to laugh and cry at the same time. Thankfully, this time she sees joy shining in those eyes, rather than the bleak despair of his pending departure.

" _Home_ is an apt description, Detective. That's exactly what I've been feeling as well." He brings her hand to his lips and places a kiss to the center of her palm, then her wrist, sending a rush of heat up her arm. "I just... I can’t read your desires the way I could with anyone else. I want to be sure of your comfort. You have a distressing habit of neglecting yourself at every available opportunity, and I want us to be clear here - I _know_ you have no problems telling me 'no'. You've been doing a marvelous job of it for years. I want to make absolutely certain that you know that 'no' is also a viable option in the bedroom. Well, or shower, kitchen, sitting room... you get the idea. I won't… I can't bear the idea of you suppressing your needs or wants in trying to please me. Can you promise me that, Chloe?"

“You’re… worried that you can’t tell what I want, because you can’t mojo me?”

“I’m worried that you’ll burn yourself up trying to keep up with me!” He bursts out. “If- when-“ It’s apparently his turn to run out of words, and he sighs in frustration, bringing his free hand up to run through his hair. “All I’m asking is for you to be honest with me about your wants and needs, even, no- _especially_ \- if those are for me to leave you alone for a bit. You know that I love sex,” a ghost of a lascivious smile appears on his face but doesn’t reach his eyes, which remain locked on hers, “But, Chloe, I love _you_ more.”

She crosses the small space between them, and climbs into his lap, resting her head on his shoulder. “I promise I will continue to tell you ‘no’ whenever I feel the need.” A smile of relief lights his face, and this time his eyes warm with it. His arms wrap around her waist and he rests his cheek against her hair. She listens to his breaths quietly whooshing in and out of his lungs for a moment before turning her head and pressing her lips to the skin of his throat. “But for now, I believe I was promised a roomy shower with excellent water heating capabilities? Unless of course, you’re not up for it?” She pulls herself reluctantly from his lap and heads for the shower, shedding her clothing as she goes, leaving her partner staring after her.

“Why, you little…” he mutters under his breath, grinning, fingers already working his buttons as he hurriedly strides after her.

*************************

An hour later, the bathroom door opens to release a cloud of steam and laughter.

 _He wasn’t kidding about that water heater capacity._ Chloe thinks to herself as she towels off. Lucifer wraps a towel around his waist, lightly kisses the top of her head, and breezes through the door to get them some drinks. She finds her brush and detangles her hair, then pulls her pajamas from the overnight bag she threw together as they were leaving her apartment.

She exits the bathroom and makes her way to the bedroom entrance.

“Hey Lucifer, I-“ the sentence trails off, because sitting at the bar is a familiar-looking sandy-haired stranger. Lucifer is planted at the foot of the stairs in front of her radiating menace at the stranger, who waves at her calmly.

“Greetings, Miss Decker.” He lifts his hand and swipes his messy hair back from his face, and she notices Lucifer’s shoulders tense at his movement.

“You don’t talk to her,” he snarls at the stranger, who is… apparently not a stranger.

“Oh please relax, Sa- brother, I’m not here to harm anyone. Besides, Miss Decker and I have already met.”

_Brother. Great, another celestial._

“Its a bit late for a social call, _brother_. Detective, I don’t suppose you would be willing to…” he sighs and doesn’t bother to finish the sentence, because Chloe steps up beside him and takes his hand. “No, I didn’t think that you would. Fine, then, have it your way. Detective, meet my brother Raphael. Raphael, this is Chloe, my partner. Now. What do you mean you’ve met? What are you doing here? And most importantly, _when are you leaving._ ”

"I ran into this guy at the grocery store yesterday, while you were with Linda." She rubs her fingers together, remembering. "What did you do to me?"

Lucifer keeps his brother in his line of sight, but eyes his partner worriedly. 

"Fear not, Miss Decker, I would never harm a human, let alone my Father's Miracle. What you felt was merely from my Reading you."

"Reading me?"

“Yes. I’ve never had the opportunity to interact with one of Father’s miracles on Earth before, I couldn’t resist seeing what adaptations he had provided.”

“Adaptations? What, I’m like… a mutant or something?”

“More… something. Physically, you’re human. You’ve just got a bit of a mental blockade to protect against some angelic abilities, and an exceptionally pure soul.”

“Pft.” Lucifer scoffs, “I could have told you that, no reading required.” She squeezes his hand, brushing her shoulder against his.

“But the truly fascinating change I see here, brother, is _you_.”

“What is your purpose here, Raphael? If you’re looking for Amenadiel, I’m happy to supply his GPS coordinates--”

“I didn’t come for Amenadiel, _Lucifer_.” He says the name slowly, as though it resists emerging from his lips. “I came to observe you, after speaking with the Ascended souls.”

“What, Delilah? She can’t possibly be in any- wait. Did you say _Souls?_ ” His grip tightens on Chloe’s hand until it’s nearly painful, but she had heard it, too. “Did she make it? The mother? Is she--?”

Raphael’s hazel eyes narrow on Lucifer’s face. “The second Ascended soul arrived last week. We completed her interview yesterday.”

Lucifer’s knees give out and he sinks onto the step behind him, clapping a hand over his mouth as a slightly hysterical laugh bubbles from his lips. Chloe steps into him, shielding him from his brother’s scrutiny as he buries his face in her hip with a stifled sob of relief. Her hand strokes his damp curls, and she watches the other angel’s expression closely. His expression remains largely smooth, and she decides he has a good poker face. What did Lucifer say about Raphael, that he is the Healer? This is the kind of face a doctor wears as he’s delivering a less-than-desirable prognosis to a family that will soon be grieving. Clinical, not wanting to give anything personal away.

But Chloe’s a cop, and she’s good at what she does- reading people. She can tell that Raphael has suspicions, but watching Lucifer’s genuine reaction, he’s surprised to find them melting away. 


	16. Chapter 16

After a moment her partner recovers himself and stands again before his brother, still clad only in his towel. "This is glad news, Raphael, and I thank you for letting me know personally... but you’ll forgive me for being suspicious that there's more behind your visit."

“Of course there is, brother. One redeemed soul was unheard of, but two? And both singing praises of how _you_ helped them on their path.” A wry smile crosses Raphael’s face, and he spreads his hands, palms up. “Naturally I was curious as to why my fallen brother was suddenly concerning himself with the souls in his care.”

“It was hardly sudden,” Lucifer scoffs, running his free hand through his hair. “Perhaps the success was unexpected, but I had been _trying_ to help some of those souls dig themselves out from under their misplaced guilt for eons.” His shoulders slump. “I couldn’t do it. No matter what I tried, nothing worked.”

“What changed, then?”

“Raphael,” Lucifer sighs. _“I don’t know.”_

“ _You_ changed,” Raphael asserts gently. “You have changed, Lucifer, I can _see_ it.”

“Well,” Lucifer muses slowly, eyes sliding toward Chloe, squeezing her hand. “Yes, I suppose I have. Some humans have a distressing habit of inspiring that.”

“Yes…” Raphael’s expression is rapt, his gaze slowly traveling between the pair in front of him. “I can _see_ that as well.”

“What is it that you see, exactly?” Chloe interjects, curious. “What kind of change?”

The hazel eyes focus on her now, and Lucifer tenses beside her. “I have various forms of Sight, Miss Decker. They are all useful in my role as the Healer.”

“And did you offer your healing services to your brother after he fell, after he burned?” Chloe’s voice is cold and brittle. “Did you offer to dress his wounds, heal his broken wings, soothe his charred skin? His broken spirit?”

Lucifer moves to place himself between Chloe and his brother. One thing he knows well is that it doesn’t do to anger a healer- those that can put you back together also know too well how to take you apart. He readies himself to present his wings for defense if needed, but his brother’s next words make him pause.

“I have not laid eyes on my brother since his fall, Miss Decker, until tonight.” His voice is tinted with sadness. “I had believed him to be lost to us forever, but now… I find I am rather glad to find a possibility that I have been mistaken.”

“ _I_ find that you’re rather good at evading questions.” Chloe spits as Lucifer tugs her firmly behind him.

Raphael barks a surprised laugh. “Oh, brother, this one doesn’t let you get away with anything, does she?”

“Doesn’t miss a step,” Lucifer agrees warily. “But the thought had occurred to me as well.”

“All right,” Raphael shrugs. “Shall we parley, then? I would like to discuss some things with you, Lucifer- not the least of which are these Ascensions of yours.”

Lucifer doesn’t answer for a long moment, and Chloe presses against his side, ready to support him no matter his decision. Finally, he sighs. “Very well, but not tonight. I need some time to get my thoughts in order, and the Detective has an important meeting tomorrow that she will need to be rested for.”

Raphael nods his head in acquiescence and stands from his seat at the bar. “Agreed, then. Pray for me when you are ready to speak, and I will come. It was… good… to see you again, brother. I hope you will be in touch soon. Miss Decker, it has been a pleasure.” The archangel strides smoothly for the open balcony door and unfurls deep chestnut wings with black barring on the primaries, then he is gone.

The tension bleeds from Lucifer’s body immediately, and he sinks back down onto the step. This time, Chloe joins him there, leaning heavily against him.

“Well, Detective,” he sighs, leaning his chin against her temple. “Not exactly how I imagined the conclusion to our evening.”

She snakes her arm around his waist, pulling him close against her as a smile quirks her lips. “Shitty timing must be a family thing, hm?”

That pulls a snort from him. “I’ll have you know, my timing is impeccable… most of the time” The last was added on the tail of Chloe’s answering snort and eye roll. They sit for a long moment in silence before Lucifer shakes himself and stands, pulling Chloe up with him.

“Well, you certainly will need your rest for the mental grilling they’ll be giving you tomorrow, Detective. Shall we away to bed?” He holds out his hand, gallant.

“We shall,” she says in her poor imitation of his posh accent, and gives him her hand. He turns smoothly, settling her palm in the crook of his elbow and escorts her back up the steps to the bedroom where he drops his towel and moves to crawl into bed.

“Are you sleeping nude?” She can’t help but ask.

“Would you rather I not?” He lifts his eyebrow at her. “The Urchin isn’t here, and really, it’s simply one less layer to remove when you wake me up with-“

“Okay, okay,” she capitulates, laughing. “Of course I don’t mind, it’s your place after all.”

“If it makes you uncomfortable, Detective-“

“No, Lucifer, not at all. Let’s just… get some sleep.” She crawls under the duvet and they fold themselves into a tangled embrace. Their breathing slows, and she slips into darkness. She wakes later with her forehead against his chest, and sighs contentedly as his lips lazily brush against her temple.

“Are you okay?” Her voice is quiet, concerned.

“Mm. You’re supposed to be getting some sleep.” His is smooth, soothing.

“I thought _we_ were supposed to be getting some sleep.”

“Ah, but all I have ahead of me tomorrow is a session with the good Doctor, which- while taxing- is hardly anything I need to rest up for. She’s certainly seen me in worse states.” His fingers trace languid patterns on her back as he speaks.

“You’re seeing Linda again tomorrow?”

“Mhm. Well, later today. I booked the appointment to coincide with your evaluation, so I wouldn’t be tempted to… hover.” She laughs, and feels his cheek move against her temple as he smiles.

“So, you’re not okay.”

“I didn’t say that, Detective.” He protests.

“You also didn’t answer the question, and since you don’t lie that’s as good as a no.”

“Ah, darling. You know me so well.” His lips brush her temple again and she closes her eyes, leaning into him. “It was odd, seeing Raphael.”

“Has he changed since you saw him last?”

“No,” the answer comes quickly, but soft. “Celestials… We don’t change easily. Immortality makes it incredibly easy to just say ‘This is the way that I am’ and leave it. It takes a lot of will and effort to enact a permanent change on one of us, and in the Silver City, it just isn’t viewed as necessary. It’s really only those few of us that interact with you lot that seem to have any capacity for it at all.”

“You don’t seem to have _too_ much trouble with change.”

“Oh, Detective, don’t ever let Dr. Linda hear you say that.” He chuckles into her hair, arms tightening briefly around her. “She has the connections to have you committed, you know.” He puffs a sigh from his lips and continues. “I’ve had more interactions with humans, and human souls than all the rest of the Host combined, so I suppose it’s reasonable to say that change comes more readily for me than for others- dearie me, look at Amenadiel, he’ll likely never be able to fully remove that stick up his arse!- but that’s not to say that it’s _easy_.”

“So… not a lot of changes in Heaven, hm?”’

“Oh, goodness no. You’re in for quite for the boring eternity once you finally shuffle off this mortal coil, my dear. I’ll just have to make your life here as entertaining as possible to tide you over for the rest of time.” She can feel his smile, but his arms tighten around her again and she can tell he’s fighting to keep his voice light.

“Lucifer,” she begins to protest, but feels his body tense like a piano wire and decides to let the subject lie for now. “I don’t think I’ll lack for _entertainment_ where you’re involved.”

He relaxes immediately against her, his fingers gently combing through her hair as he purrs into her ear, “As it should be, darling. Now… will you please try to get some rest?”

She nods, her hair rustling a little against his chest, and he starts humming, a melody resonating through her that she doesn’t recognize. It seems to do the trick; her eyelids grow heavy and the lingering notes gently lull her to sleep.

**************

Lucifer holds Chloe as she sleeps, his thoughts buzzing into the night. Finally he can keep still no longer- he disentangles himself from her embrace and slips from the bed, sliding into his robe and heading to his desk to work on more of the case studies for Linda. The Faultless are restless in his mind now, and he’s eager to truly get them started on their paths to redemption.

His pen flies across the papers, filling in the details from the loops he’s spent so much time studying. Notes fill the margins for ideas that he has on handling them, but he’ll wait for Linda’s input before he tries anything. The stack next to him grows as the hours pass. He refills his tumbler several times, and finally his eyelids start to grow heavy. Chloe finds him snoring lightly there in the morning, pen held loosely in his fingers and his face resting on a half-filled page.

She smiles and shakes her head, quietly heading for the kitchen to start coffee and breakfast. The scent of the coffee permeates his fog of exhaustion, and he staggers into the kitchen about 15 minutes later. Chloe’s eyes sparkle as she hands him a mug and takes in the rare sight of a creased and rumpled Lucifer. His hair is a wild mess of untamed curls, and he has a smear of ink on his cheek from his impromptu pillow. His customary 5 o’clock shadow is definitely in need of a refresher, and his eyes are slightly red from poring over papers all night. He smiles sleepily at her, and she thinks she’s never seen anything more beautiful in her life. She bites her lip to keep from giggling- but he reads it anyway.

“What’s funny, darling?” he queries, pouring himself a cup coffee-tinted whiskey.

“You look like a grad student that’s been cramming all night.”

He lifts an eyebrow and empties half his mug with a deep sigh. “Well, it’s not an entirely inaccurate description. I do feel like I’m working on a deadline, now.”

Chloe sets two plates of eggs, bacon, and toast on the bar and wraps her arms around his waist, pressing her face into his shoulder blades. “Worried about your brother’s agenda?”

“Perhaps a bit.” She feels his chest heave in a sigh. “I need to talk to Amenadiel.”

“Maybe we can stop by there this morning?” Her fingers tighten in the fabric of his robe, and he sets down his empty mug and moves his hands to cover hers.

“I can think of so many more pleasurable things to do with this morning than discussing family matters, but…”

She squeezes his waist, then gently pushes him toward the bar. “Alright, breakfast first.”

*********************

Amenadiel appears at the door to Linda’s home wearing Charlie strapped into a harness on his chest, and Chloe is barely managing to restrain her amusement at her partner’s expression of horrified fascination. He leads them into the sitting room, where Lucifer finally manages to shake himself out of his daze.

“Apologies for bursting in on you and your offspring, brother, but I had an unexpected fraternal visit very early this morning…”

A wide smile breaks across Amenadiel’s face, his eyes shining. “He came to see you? We were sure he would need to talk through a few more visits with us before he was brave enough to approach-“

“We?” Lucifer interrupts, “You knew he was planning to visit?”

“Well, he indicated that he was considering, but said that he still needed to do some thinking. You know Gabriel, never one to rush into anything-“

“Gabriel?” The name falls from Chloe’s mouth in sync with Lucifer’s.

“Yes, of course. He came here after my visit to interview Delilah, wanting to discuss you.”

“Gabriel didn’t come to see me.” Lucifer slowly shakes his head. “Raphael did.”

“Raphael!” Amenadiel exclaims quietly, narrowly avoiding upsetting his son with a louder outburst. “Granted, he seemed less skeptical about you than Michael, but he didn’t hint that he was considering coming to speak to you. Luci! This is a wonderful thing!”

“I’m not certain of that, brother.” Lucifer leans back against the couch, reeling. Millenia with no contact from his family but Amenadiel, and now suddenly not one but _two_ of the siblings that had been closest to him before his Fall were looking to open communication? “Michael is suspicious of me, well, that’s not exactly surprising. I wonder if Raphael came to check on my intentions at his behest.” Lucifer’s hand comes up to rub the scar under his chin.

_Doctor Linda is going to need a raise._

“Michael is your twin, right?” Chloe clarifies.

“Mmhm. Identical, except for the wings, and the powers.” Lucifer’s fingers still linger at his chin. “If my siblings are all going to start sniffing around here, we may need to set up a passphrase, Detective. I wouldn’t put it beyond my brother to try to do some undercover reconnaissance by passing as me.”

“He was… injured… in your final battle, Luci. He may find it harder to pass for you than you think.”

“What injury could he possibly still have from casting me out??” Lucifer scoffs, his chin jutting out. “That was thousands of years ago, and I wasn’t even armed!”

“When he ejected you, and you grabbed his wing-“

“Of course I grabbed him, _mine were broken!_ ” His voice breaks in anguish, and Chloe tries not to imagine her partner, broken, bleeding, and clinging desperately to his mirror image in a vain attempt to avoid the grandest fall of all time.

“Well, it never healed properly. He can hide it for a time, but his stance is somewhat crooked in the shoulders now, and his flight is nowhere near as graceful or powerful as it once was. It’s very difficult for him to move his right arm, though he _can_ , with effort.”

Lucifer is silent, staring at his brother as though he’s speaking gibberish. _What could possibly interfere with an archangel’s healing ability? Why hadn’t Raphael healed it?_

Well. That’s one question that’s going on the list for his inevitable meeting with his brother. Lucifer blinks slowly and drags himself back to the current brotherly conversation at hand.

“Hm. Well, it’s not bloody likely he’ll come sniffing around anyway. He hates me even more than Dad does.”

“Luci, that’s not-“

“You said Gabriel came to visit?” Lucifer interrupts, not willing to tread whatever path Amenadiel was attempting to take.

“He…did, yes. I talked with all three of them during my visit. Gabriel has temporarily taken over Uriel’s welcoming duties, and is training Serimael to take the position permanently. He’s the one that led me to Delilah’s interview, and he seemed very excited at the development of her Ascension.”

“Gabriel’s curiosity was always his most defining characteristic.” Lucifer smiles somewhat reluctantly. “He kept after me for _ages_ until I finally taught him that glowing trick.”

“The glowing trick?” Chloe echoes.

“Oh yes,” Lucifer scoffs, smiling wider. “He used it so much that any time you see a depiction of him he’s surrounded by a halo of light. I’m not the only one with a flair for the dramatic in the family, Detective.”

“I’m sorry we hadn’t mentioned Gabriel’s visit yet, Luci. I think Linda was intending to bring it up to you today, actually…” Charlie reaches up and grabs Amenadiel’s face and his sentence trails off.

“No harm done, brother. At least now I know I need to be watching for at least two brothers lurking in the shadows… In the name of full disclosure, I’ll be making another trip to Hell in the next couple days. Raphael told me that soul from the loop I mentioned with the divine residue has arrived in the Silver City now, and I’ve got some ideas from Linda for a few more modifications for some loops I’d like to set in motion.”

Chloe barely suppresses her flinch at Lucifer’s mention of another visit to Hell, and she notices Amenadiel’s eyes flicker toward her then away before he reacts to Raphael’s news.

“Luci, a second soul!” A huge grin spreads across the brawny angel’s face, crinkling his eyes. “This is wonderful news! Our brothers will find it difficult to disparage your efforts with results such as these-“

“I’m not bloody doing it for _them_.” The scorn in Lucifer’s interjection is thick enough to stand on. “Why on Earth would I care what they think of me now? Raphael made it quite clear what the general opinion of me in the Silver City is, no surprise there.”

“But Raphael came to you, Luci! Perhaps this is part of Father’s plan for you!”

“I want nothing to do with Father’s _plan_ , brother.” Instead of his usual bitter anger, Lucifer simply sounds exhausted. “I truly want nothing more than to live my life here on Earth free of heavenly influence. If I can help some souls in Hell win their way free, then that is an unexpected bonus, but I have _no desire_ to try to court His favour by doing so. If I can avoid His attention altogether, I’ll be best off.”

Chloe silently agrees, but keeps her face blank. She places her palm on Lucifer’s knee and gives it a supportive squeeze. His hand covers hers, fingers interlacing. Amenadiel's face falls at Lucifer's denouncement, but for once he wisely doesn't argue.

“Lucifer, we should be going if we’re going to make our appointments in time.” Chloe stands, not relinquishing her partner’s hand.

“Let me know when we are to return to Hell, Luci.” Amenadiel stands and walks with them to the door. “I will be ready.”

Lucifer sighs in exasperation. “Maze is already planning to go with me, Amenadiel. Do I really need _both_ of you tagging along again? You were bored out of your mind last visit.”

“I would rather be bored for a month, than worried for an hour. And I think Chloe would agree with me on this.” He grins at his brother, knowing he’s won this argument as Lucifer glances sideways at his Detective, who nods her approval. “Also, I’d like to see more of the loop alteration process. I may not be able to help, but it fascinates me.”

“Fine!” Lucifer runs his hand over his hair, unnecessarily smoothing it. “I’ll check with Maze and have her coordinate with you, then. We’ll be like the three bloody musketeers.”

“Does that make you D’Artagnan, then?” Chloe grins at him as they exit.

“Detective, please.” Lucifer scoffs, holding a hand over his heart as though wounded. “D’Artagnan- while admittedly dashing- dreamed of becoming a King’s Musketeer, does that sound anything like yours truly? I much prefer Porthos, if I _must_ play a role.”

She giggles and shakes her head as she follows him out to the car. “Wine, women, and song, indeed. I should have known.”


	17. Chapter 17

Lucifer texts Maze about coordinating the next Hell venture with Amenadiel in 2 days while Chloe drives to Linda’s office. When Lucifer’s session was over he would head back to Lux, since Chloe’s evaluation would likely take longer. The ride is quiet, each absorbed in their own thoughts as the early afternoon traffic flows past.

Chloe stops in the drop-off lane in front of the building, and Lucifer gathers his satchel with the newly completed case studies. He rests his hand on the latch and turns back to grin at her.

“I’d wish you luck, Detective, but I know you don’t need it.” He gives her hand a squeeze. “You know how eager they are to get you back on active duty.”

“It won’t _be_ active duty yet, just desk duty-“

“Oh, and how often does that stick, with you? They _need_ you.”

“They need _us_.” She leans in and brushes a kiss along his lips, laughing softly as he moves after her when she pulls away. “Have a good session, and I’ll see you back at Lux later, okay?”

“Deal.” His grin widens. “Shall I make dinner, or order in?”

“Surprise me.”

“Always, Detective.” He exits the car with a spring in his step, and she watches his retreating back until he’s out of sight before pulling back into traffic to head to the precinct.

Chloe pulls into her space in the station’s parking structure and sits listening to the ticking of the cooling engine for a moment as she gathers herself for the intense interview to come. She takes a mental inventory and feels as though she’s ready to resume her duties. She’s not jumpy or paranoid, wasn’t really injured beyond the drugging during her kidnapping. In fact, she feels more mentally fit now than she did _before_ her kidnapping because she has Lucifer back.

 _Now the trick is to keep him, and get past this clingy stage._ That’s an exploration for another day, the evaluation today is simply dealing with her fitness for her work duties. She sucks in a deep breath and exits the car, squaring her shoulders just in time to be hug-tackled by 5 feet, 4 inches of highly excitable forensic scientist.

“Decker!” She squeals, “Are you here for your psych eval? ‘Cause you’re gonna NAIL IT. We _need_ you back, chica, not even kidding. I think our solve rate has dropped like 15% just in this last week, and-“

“Ella!” Chloe laughs, “Yes, it’s time for my evaluation, and I’m going to be late if I don’t get moving…”

The tiny Latina lets her go immediately- straightening her jacket and brushing off imaginary dust from her shoulders. “Well then you best be moving along, ma’am! Can’t keep the psychologist waiting!” She turns to walk into the building with her friend, still chattering as she goes. “Where’s Lucifer? I can’t believe you talked him into staying away! Wait, is he actually here, but using his fade?!”

“He booked a session with Linda so he wouldn’t be tempted to ‘hover’.” Chloe smirks at her friend’s exaggerated swoon at the antics of her favorite ‘ship’.

“Chloe, you guys have _got_ to put yourselves out of your shared UST misery. Like, the sooner the better, because the sooner _I_ get details, the _better!”_

A slow blush appears on Chloe’s cheeks and flows down her neck, and of _course_ Ella notices.

“Oh. Em. GEE!” She squeals again, attracting the attention of everyone on the stairs as they enter the bullpen and making Chloe’s blush deepen to 2nd degree sunburn levels. “ _You_ have got to spill, woman. Not now, obvs, but details are mandatory, and _soon_. I will not forget, and don’t think I’m above asking Lucifer if I feel like you’re withholding!!” The tiny woman gives her another enthusiastic hug and retreats to her lab, nattering excitedly to herself as she goes.

Chloe shakes her head fondly and knocks on the door to the interview room, precisely on time.

******************

Lucifer sits impatiently in Linda’s waiting room. Chloe had needed to drop him off a bit early to get to her own evaluation in time, so now he finds himself in the detested position of having to wait his turn. It always annoys the good Doctor when he barges in on her other client’s sessions, even though he always repays them, so he’s come prepared this time with a notepad and pen. He briefly peruses his list of topics he wants to make sure they cover today, then moves on to his sheaf of new case studies, adding a few notes in the margins here and there. He’s scattered his work all across the waiting room coffee table, and barely notices the previous client leaving until Linda appears in the doorway to her office and clears her throat.

“Lucifer?” She smiles warmly at him, “I can see you, now.”

It’s his first official therapy session since he’s delegated stewardship of Hell to Cain, and there’s so much they need to discuss. He gathers his papers and stuffs them into his satchel as he migrates into her office. He settles onto the couch and pours himself a glass of water to keep his hands busy while Linda settles into her chair. She takes a moment to study him before starting the session, trying to decide where best to start.

“Lucifer, it’s been quite a week for you! How do you feel that you’re adjusting back to everyday life in LA?”

“Well, Doctor, as you’ve seen me nearly every day since I’ve been back, you might be able to answer that better than I can-“

“Nooo, Lucifer, I asked how _you_ feel you’re adjusting. I’d like to hear what you think we need to talk about today.”

“It… hasn’t exactly been a standard week. I feel… rather as though I’ve been swept into a solar wind storm, if you really want to know.” His fingers tap against the glass in his hands and he restlessly crosses one leg over the other. “There are many things we should discuss today, but I’d like to start with the Detective.”

“What about Chloe?”

“I discovered that she is still carrying a great deal of guilt, from Kinley’s manipulation and plotting after her return to LA. I cannot abide that, Doctor, and we _must_ find a way to help her overcome it.” His agitation increases, and he takes a calming sip from his glass.

“I’m more than happy to speak with Chloe, Lucifer, but right now I’d like to focus on _you_.”

“I _will not_ allow her to wind up in Hell. She deserves better. _Please._ ” His voice breaks on the last word, and Linda gazes at her favorite patient with fond exasperation.

“All right, I can see this is extremely important to you, Lucifer. I’ll pencil her in for an appointment, and you can have her call to reschedule or cancel if she needs to. Okay?”

His shoulders relax slightly and a small, grateful smile crosses his face. “Thank you, Doctor. I do have some more Faultless case studies for you as well-“

“I’d rather not discuss those during your personal sessions, Lucifer. I’m happy to take them, and I have a few more completed plans to send with you, but we’ll discuss them in a separate session. I don’t want to neglect _your_ well-being in favor of working on your new project.” Her gaze sharpens. “What else do you think we need to discuss?”

“I was considering popping down to Hell for a quick visit this afternoon after my session-“ Linda starts to protest but he lifts his hand and bulldozes over her. “-but I know full well the Detective, Mazikeen, my brother, gosh- probably even you and the Urchin would have my head if I so much as popped a wing into view. So, I thought I might try to work in a conversation with my brother this afternoon instead, while the Detective is being put through her psychological paces at work.”

“Your brother! You’ve been in touch with Gabriel?” Linda’s eyes widen, but she doesn’t let her face give away anything else.

“No, though I understand he’s visited you. Consider yourself lucky, he’s much more amiable than the sibling I got saddled with.” He knocks back the last of his water, then reaches to refill his glass. “No, Raphael appeared at Lux last night, interrupting the rather pleasant plans I’d been enjoying with the Detective.”

“Raphael came to see you? And, wait- pleasant plans?”

“Oh yes, exited a very enjoyable shower last night and found him parked on one of my barstools in the penthouse, bold as brass. At least the Detective had put on some pyjamas-“

“Lucifer!”

“Doctor?” his brows are furrowed in puzzlement.

“Are you and Chloe—did you – have you --?” Linda’s professional brain blinks off for a moment and all she can do is sputter incoherently.

“Ah. Yes, that.” A tiny smile tugs at his lips, and spreads like wildfire as he loses the battle not to beam exultantly. “We, er, did finally manage to take that rather large step into a physical relationship, yes.”

Linda remains speechless for a long moment as the two of them simply stare at each other and grin like a pair of jack-o-lanterns. Finally she manages to kick-start her brain and asks the first question that comes to mind.

“How does that make you feel?”

“Well, as you know I am quite-“

“Lucifer.”

“I don’t know that I have the proper words, Doctor.” He sighs, overcoming his need for making an innuendo with an honest answer. “It feels like… I am home… when I am with her. Any time I am with her, not… not just in the bedroom. Well, or shower, or-“

“Yes, all right.” Linda chuckles along with him. “So, having Chloe nearby gives you a sense of… belonging?”

“There is that, yes, but it’s… more.” His face is earnest as he tries to find words for emotions that this ancient being has never experienced before, hands reaching out as though he might be able to pluck the correct ones from the air. “Warmth, and light, and… and love.”

“You’ve made quite the family here on Earth, Lucifer.” The therapist gives him a warm smile of approval at his openness.

“Yes. Now the trick will be to keep the heavenly siblings from bollocksing it all up for me. If I don’t manage it myself!” He scoffs, then clears his throat, wanting to move past his moment of vulnerability. “That’s why I thought I might try to speak with Raphael while the Detective is busy- I don’t trust him enough to be comfortable having the Detective nearby while he’s here.”

“Do you think he would hurt her? Or you?”

“I… no, I don’t think he would, he’s the Healer, after all. But he certainly could. And until I know more about his agenda, I’d rather minimize the risk.” He fiddles with the glass in his hand some more, swirling the water inside and clearly wishing it were alcohol instead.

“Would it make you feel better if Amenadiel were there? For support?”

“Doctor, I am not an invalid.” Lucifer grimaces. “I’m currently at full angelic power, unlike Amenadiel. He may have most of his Grace back, but he’s still no match for an archangel in the mood for a fight. I can’t keep leaning on others for help with _my_ responsibilities. Especially with your spawn--”

“Raphael is Amenadiel’s family, too, Lucifer. As are you.” Linda asserts gently. “He might like to at least be asked to be present.”

“Well, I happen to know that he’s currently watching your offspring, and I’d rather not have Raphael around him, either. He’s already intrigued by whatever changes he sees in me, I don’t want to tempt him to visit more often to keep tabs on his nephew as well…” Lucifer grumbles indeterminately into the glass as he finishes his water.

“Changes?” Linda prompts carefully.

“Yes, quite.” Lucifer shrugs. “He was rather cryptic about them this morning, I hope to get some better answers out of him this afternoon. He wants to talk about the Ascended souls, as well.”

“Souls?” She clarifies, “More than one?”

“Yes! I meant to tell you, the mother, she made it! Raphael said he had just finished up her interview yesterday – Heaven time, of course. That was apparently what inspired his ill-timed visit, but it was very good news to receive.”

“Hmm.” Linda narrows her eyes at Lucifer, deep in thought. “This has been an even more eventful week for you than I thought.”

“Indeed!” Lucifer flicks his devil-may-care grin into place, “After the past few hundred years, it has been a most welcome distraction! Well, sibling interference aside, of course.”

A quiet alarm beeps and Linda sighs. Even a double session with Lucifer sometimes never feels like enough. She begins to wrap up the discussion, putting forward some points to consider for the next week’s session. She takes the neat stack of case studies that Lucifer proffers, and passes the half dozen or so that she’s managed to craft treatment plans for, taking a bit of extra time with him to make sure he understands her notes and recommendations. He asks her a couple of questions that had occurred to him as he was looking over the others they had completed yesterday, and then he’s bustling out the door, calling back at her to make sure she schedules an appointment for Chloe, and that she bills him both for Chloe’s visit and for her extra time spent on his project.

She smiles after the devil, incorrigible as always, and makes the necessary mental shift to greet her next patient.

****************************

Lucifer briefly debates ordering an Uber, but decides to collect his BMW from Chloe’s apartment instead. A furtive glance and a brief snap of his wings and he’s standing next to the car in the coppery late-afternoon sunlight. The keys are back at Lux, but he touches the handle and it opens to him with a dull click. A brief burst of focus and the motor purrs to life and he’s on his way across town in the slightly lighter pre-rush-hour LA traffic. As he drives, he focuses on the sunlight, the freshness of the air rushing through the windows, the lack of ash- all reminding him of where he is. Or rather, where he is _not_.

He parks in the Lux garage, gathers his patience, and tosses up a prayer to his brother as he steps into the lift.

_Alright, Raphael. I’ve got some time, if you still want to talk._

The chime sounds as the door slide open with a soft hiss, and his brother is there, folding his wings away as he stands next to the piano.

“Welcome, brother.” Lucifer keeps his voice light and confident. He stops at the bar and pours himself a generous helping of bourbon. “Would you care for a drink?”

Raphael’s steady hazel eyes regard him with curiosity, and he nods his head, unruly waves of fair hair bobbing with the movement. “Thank you, Lucifer,” again his lips carefully form the name.

“Amenadiel prefers mixed drinks,” Lucifer remarks with a smirk, “but I’m afraid I don’t normally stock those up here – do you have a preference?”

“It is all new to me, brother.”

Lucifer chuckles and pours a finger of the same bourbon he chose for himself. _If Raphael doesn’t like it, I’ll just add it to mine. Dad knows I’ll likely need it._ He slides the glass across the bar to his brother, who catches it deftly. He lifts it, studying the light reflecting from the amber liquid.

Lucifer sips from his glass slowly, watching as his brother carefully mimics the movement.

“Hm.” He analyzes the flavor as carefully as anything else he finds before him. “It has a fire to it, but also soothes the throat. An interesting beverage, I thank you.”

“Of course,” Lucifer pushes away the thanks with a wave of his hand. “You wanted a conversation, Raphael. I’ve merely found that, even with as little effect alcohol has on me, time with my siblings nearly _always_ goes better when alcohol is involved.”

A wry smile graces his brother’s open face, and Lucifer finds himself returning it. “I understand your reticence in meeting with me. Amenadiel told us something of the... problem... with Uriel. I regret that I failed to notice the madness before..." His expressive eyes become sorrowful, "Perhaps I could have prevented the entire situation."

Lucifer's entire body had tensed at the mention of Uriel, and a blank expression of incredulity spreads across his face at his brother's lament. "Uriel's death was not your fault, Raphael."

"Nor does it seem to be yours, brother." Raphael meets Lucifer's gaze without a shadow of a lie between them.

"The blood I washed from my hands would say otherwise," Lucifer murmurs quietly, dropping his eyes to his trembling glass as he takes a large mouthful.

“From what Amenadiel shared with us, Uriel presented you with an impossible choice. Mother’s life, or your Bonded. It’s not a choice we are designed to make- if he had been in his right mind, he would have been able to see what had to happen.”

“I- Bonded?” Lucifer parrots. “Obviously I know what the word means, but-“

“I see it from time to time among human souls in the Silver City. It’s not common, but not unheard of.” The gleam of curiosity is back in his brother’s eyes now. “I have never seen it in an angel.”

“Well, I’m hardly an angel anymore, Raphael.” Lucifer mocks. “And I daresay your Devil sample size is nonexistent.”

“Deny it if you like, Lucifer, but you’re only lying to yourself.” Raphael shrugs casually. “Your soul is still angelic, though the Bond has changed it in interesting ways.”

“Yes, about that… care to share the details, brother?” Lucifer’s tone is acerbic. “You said something about the changes you could see before, but were frustratingly circumspect about the specifics.”

“Now that I’ve seen you both with your Bonded, and without, I must admit your situation becomes even more intriguing, Lucifer.” Raphael’s expression is puzzled, but interested. “It appears that when you are together, your body is modified into a more…”

“Mortal?” Lucifer suggests, with a smirk.

“Not mortal, simply- vulnerable- state. Your grace is lessened, but still very present when your Bonded is near. Now, though- your grace is at a normal level. You know about the modification, then?”

“Oh yes, have for years. Bleeding used to be a novel experience. Not so much, now.” Lucifer empties his glass and pours himself another measure. “So you’re saying I’m not… human… when I’m with her? Just what, softer?”

“Definitely still angelic, brother, not a drop of human in you. Why do you ask?”

“Well, with Amenadiel’s offspring, there was a concern there…”

“Ah, yes, I see!” Raphael’s eyes light and Lucifer suppresses a wince. He hadn’t meant to bring Charlie to Raphael’s attention. “I can read the two of you together when next I see you together, but I am fairly certain you need not be concerned. You are Outcast, certainly, but not truly fallen from grace the way our brother Amenadiel once was.”

“Thank you,” Lucifer replies slowly. “Are there any concerns with this Bonding business that we need to know about? I’m afraid it’s not something within my experience.”

“Probably not surprising, given the types of souls that wind up in Hell.” Raphael shrugs. “As I said, I have never seen a Bond in an angel before, so this is new-“

“Welcome to my world,” Lucifer mutters under his breath, but his brother continues speaking as if Lucifer hadn’t interrupted.

“-territory. In the human Bonded souls I have been able to study, it only seems to mean that they will have an important role in the other’s existence.”

“So her feelings _are_ being manipulated by Father?!” Lucifer’s eyes flare red and Raphael watches the change, fascinated at the currents playing through his brother’s being. “She’s being forced to-“

“No, Lucifer, peace! Not at all.” Raphael lifts his hands placatingly, his tone soothing. “I’ve seen Bonded souls with all manner of relationships, parent-child, lovers, best friends, siblings. The relationship develops as it will, there is no set path. Not all of them even get along- after all, a relationship does not _need_ to be a positive one to have importance.”

Lucifer snorts into his glass at that. “Truer words were never spoken.”

They sit in comfortable silence for a moment before Raphael breaks it with a quiet question. “Do you have any idea _why?”_

“’Why’is probably the question I ask myself most often, brother.” Lucifer sneers. “Can you be more specific? ‘Why’ what?”

“Why your angelic grace lessens in her presence? Have you any idea of what role she has for you? Or yours for her, for that matter?”

“Many ideas,” Lucifer replies bitterly, “but none that I’m quite comfortable enough to share with siblings that I haven’t seen or spoken to since I was cast from the Silver City to burn alone for thousands upon thousands of years.”

Raphael’s face falls, but he doesn’t argue with Lucifer’s assertion. He nods wistfully. “That is fair, brother. It _is_ a very personal question, after all.”

Lucifer’s shoulders relax a little as he realizes his brother isn’t going to press the issue, and he asks the question that’s been turning in his head all day.

“Amenadiel tells me that Michael is… injured?”

“Yes. The Sword still carries his injuries from his battle with the Lightbringer.” Raphael shakes his head dejectedly. “I was unable to heal him, and I do not know why. You didn’t even use a weapon against him!”

“My wings healed, eventually.” Lucifer’s fingers brush against the scar on his chin thoughtfully. “It took a very long time, healing is delayed in Hell, and the burns healed long before the bones did- but heal they did.”

“Burns?” Raphael’s eyes rake over Lucifer, who chuckles darkly.

“Oh yes, brother. When Michael cast me down he did so straight into the burning pit. I burned. And burned. Then, just for variety, I burned some more until I could drag myself out of the crater. I carry the scars still, but I can usually choose when to physically manifest them.”

Raphael’s brows draw together in confusion. “You choose to wear the scars of your fall?”

“Not always,” Lucifer allows, gesturing to his current appearance with an open hand. “But the view does make for a wonderful punishment for Hell-bound souls.”

“And the eyes?” Raphael ventures.

“Ah, you spotted that, hm? Yes, I have somewhat less control over that. They tend to respond to my more negative emotions all on their own.”

“Lucifer… what has happened to you, brother?” Raphael reaches across the bar toward his brother, who steps back out of reach, his face shuttered. He withdraws his hand and asks tentatively, “Will you show me?”

“You want to see the Great Beast, hm?” Lucifer scoffs. His voice grows louder, wilder as he continues, “Of course, Beelzebub in all his glory, eh? Give Michael a little something to feel better about?”

Between one breath and the next, Lucifer brings forth his King of Hell form to confront his brother. Craggy, scorched ridges and valleys where smooth skin formerly held sway, his broader chest shredding the fabric of his shirt into ribbons and his crimson draconic wings unfurled to their fullest expanse. Raphael’s breath catches as he reads his brother’s physical and mental state, and he can _feel_ the pain behind the form. The centuries of burning, then centuries more of the agony of healing. The incredible self-loathing and fear swirling in vivid streaks of crimson and ebony behind this transformation. He does the only thing a healer with his unique abilities _could_ do.

He steps toward the snarling Great Beast, and pulls his stunned and unresisting brother into a strong embrace.


	18. Chapter 18

The shock of the unexpected action results in Lucifer’s normal form reasserting itself as he finds himself enfolded in his brother’s arms. He stands for a moment, uncertain, before stepping back, fiddling with the cufflinks still hanging from his tattered sleeves.

“At least I only destroyed the shirt this time,” he sighs dramatically, lowering his eyes to avoid his brother’s scrutiny. “Waistcoats and jackets are far more difficult to replace.”

“Lucifer,” Raphael begins, then clears his throat and takes a drink from his nearly-forgotten tumbler. “Lucifer, how is that possible?”

A deeper sigh rumbles from the devil. “What do you know about Amenadiel’s self-actualization theory, brother?”

“What, that we choose what happens to us?” Raphael’s tone is derisive. “He was spouting that nonsense when he first returned to the Silver City carrying your first risen soul in his arms.”

“Well, that’s a bit oversimplified, but essentially, not wrong.” Lucifer empties his glass again, this time refilling to nearly the top of the glass. “It’s not so much a conscious choice, as it is our subconscious having a field day with us. Essentially, we get what we feel we deserve.”

“What makes you think this is true, brother?”

“Aside from the fact that I seem to be the infernal guinea pig for it?” Lucifer’s smile is brittle and humourless. “Oh, let’s go chronologically, shall we? First, Amenadiel feels guilty for a number of minor and not-so-minor sins, and loses his powers and his wings. Then I stopped a war on Heaven and saved the Earth from getting blown up by Mum’s light by sending her to an empty universe, so I lose my Devil face and regain my bloody wings. I cut them off a hundred bloody times, and they grow right back within a day. Then our friend gets killed and Amenadiel regains _his_ wings so he can personally fly her to the Silver City on the Angel Express. I go too far in a punishment and my normal wings turn into something from bloody _Fantasia_ , then later go so far down the self-hatred crater that I change myself right into what you just saw, until I started to try to forgive myself.” He huffs, tirade complete. “It’s real, brother. I’ve seen it in action too many times to doubt it.”

“So… perhaps an injury sustained but unhealed…” Raphael muses quietly, almost to himself.

“Ooooh, there’s an interesting theory.” Lucifer exclaims. “You think my twin believes he deserves that injury?”

“It’s certainly worth thinking about, if your theory is true, brother.”

“ _Amenadiel’s_ theory.” Lucifer corrects, “But I do believe it. Again, I’ve seen it in bloody action far too often for comfort.”

Raphael is lost in thought for a time as Lucifer slowly progresses on his glass. Finally, he seems to shake himself back to the present.

“I wanted to ask you about these loops you’re working with- these… Faultless?”

Lucifer nods, making a rolling ‘go-on’ gesture with his glass.

“You said you’ve been trying to help these souls for eons, but couldn’t.“

“Since I discovered the first one,” Lucifer confirms grimly. “You said I’d changed, that you could see it. You weren’t just talking about my vulnerability around the Detective.”

“No,” Raphael agrees, slowly. “But perhaps I misspoke. It’s not so much that you’ve changed, but more that you’ve changed… back.”

Lucifer stifles another sigh and eyes his wall of bottles longingly. _There isn’t enough alcohol on the planet for this conversation._ But… he’s never been a quitter. With an internal shrug, he pours himself another glass and settles in.

“Care to elaborate, brother? What exactly have I changed ‘back’ into?”

“Well,” Raphael always takes his time with his answers, letting his thoughts form fully before he responds. “I suppose I mean ‘back’ as in, ‘before’, in the Silver City, when we were all closer- happier. Before Mother and Father, and humanity. You were full of light, brother, it radiated from you. To my Sight, you glowed just as brightly as those stars you are so proud of.” He smiles at the twinkle in his brother’s eyes at the mention of his stars. _That certainly hasn’t changed._ “As time passed and things changed, your light dimmed. Mother and Father would fight, which made the Host jumpy. You tried to patch it up, tried to work us all past it, but it just kept coming and you couldn’t shoulder it all on your own. I Saw it, brother, your light bleeding from you as you saw the toll the fighting was taking on all of us. It was waning.” Raphael took a deep pull from his own glass and finished off the amber liquid inside, but waved off the offered refill. “By the time your Rebellion happened, and your battle with Michael, your light had all but been snuffed. Your light was nearly extinguished when you were Cast out.”

Lucifer meets his brother’s unwavering gaze with a slow nod, agreeing, and, Raphael continues. “That was the largest part of the reason I thought you lost to us entirely, brother. I had never seen a soul change so drastically.”

Lucifer drifts back to his hazy memories of that time, it’s been so long now since he’s allowed himself to think of it, even in passing, that not much comes to mind except for the crystal clarity that was his father’s proclamation and his last clash with his twin, and of course- the Fall. _That_ is far more than clear, it stays always just below the surface, ready to be experienced again and again at any moment.

Raphael’s voice picks up again, and Lucifer shakes himself away from _that_ memory. “But now, so much of your light has returned, brother! You glow with it again, and it makes my heart happy to see you so. Your Bonded’s soul glows at a similar brightness, and I think part of her purpose in your life is to help… rekindle you.”

Lucifer starts to protest, but stops before the words can escape his lips. _Isn’t that exactly what it’s felt like? Like I’m coming back to life, after millennia of being buried in a cold grave?_

“How does this relate to your question about the Faultless loops, brother?”

“After you met your Bonded, you went back to Hell, and now we have _two_ Ascended souls within a few months of each other! There has to be a connection, Lucifer.”

“Meeting her has been the catalyst for many changes in my life, Raphael. She has brought all of my human friends to me, and I have learned much about humans from her, from _them_. When I went back to Hell, I was able to apply some of what I had learned to those loops, and I think that is what is making the difference.” Lucifer turns his empty glass in his hand, watching the dim light of the penthouse ripple across the drops rolling along the bottom. “Another friend is helping me form more plans for other loops that I plan to put in place later this week.”

The Healer leans forward, attentive. “You’ll be making another visit?”

“Yes, of course,” Lucifer sighs deeply. “Apparently, Hell goes to- well, Hell- without me at least overseeing things. I’ve delegated an overseer, but there are some things that cannot be delegated, and I need to keep an eye on him to be sure he isn’t plotting something.”

“Hmm,” comes the quiet response. Lucifer isn’t quite sure what it means, but he only lifts a brow in query. Raphael remains still and silent, his eyes turned inward in thought. After a couple of minutes, Lucifer stands and heads toward his closet, intent on changing his ragged shirt. When he emerges, tugging his cuffs into place, he finds his brother still introspective.

He crosses back to the bar and fills his glass again. “Amenadiel tells me I may be getting a visit from Gabriel in the future, if he follows through on his thought process.”

Raphael surfaces at Lucifer’s words, eyes returning to the outside world. “Really? He hasn’t said anything to me. But then, I suppose I haven’t said anything to him about my visits to you, either…”

“Mm, yes. He paid a visit to Amenadiel and Dr. Linda a day or two ago, apparently full of questions.” His eyes remain on the liquid slowly swirling in his glass with the movement of his hand. “I… Raphael, I don’t need to worry about a possible visit from… from Michael, do I?”

There is a long pause from the other side of the bar before an answer is forthcoming. “He has not spoken of any intentions to visit Earth, Lucifer, but you know he was never the one for words.”

_No. Words are mine. Michael has always been action. When he uses words, he wields them as though they were swords- to defend or attack. The only time his words weren’t carefully guarded was between we two. Before._

“Well. What else did you want to know, brother? I need to be preparing dinner soon, and unless you would like to stay-“ Lucifer’s tone heavily implies that he would much rather his brother not stay for dinner, but that fact flies right over the other angel’s head.

“Dinner would be interesting, brother, thank you.” Raphael nods, his tawny hair flopping into his eyes at the movement. “And I could use the opportunity to Read the two of you together, to put your concern to rest.”

_Well, if he’s going to stay, at least he’s offering to make himself useful._

“Do you have a preference in cuisine?” Lucifer asks dryly.

“As with the drink, it is all new to me, I am sure I will enjoy anything you see fit to offer.”

Lucifer briefly considers ordering the spiciest food he knows of, just to see if it affects his brother, but decides not to punish himself or the Detective in the name of a petty payback. He settles for a little Italian place he knows Chloe enjoys, and calls in the order, to be delivered in an hour.

“Lucifer,” Raphael lifts his head suddenly from his thoughts. “These loops- would this be something I could assist you with?”

Lucifer glances at his brother, nonplussed. “Assist? You want to help me, with _Hell?”_ Lucifer scoffs. “Forgive me, but I find that difficult to believe.”

“This- what you are doing- this is _healing_ , Lucifer. I may be of help here.” Raphael’s eyes are shining with excitement.

“Again- you’ve never shown any inclination to offer help _before_.”

“We didn’t know Ascension was _possible_ before!” Raphael cries passionately. “What good can a Healer do in Hell? Patch up the demons? Put a bandage on a tortured soul before their next round? _This_ , these redemptions- this may be something that I can apply myself to! _Please_ , Lucifer, I get to use my gift so rarely-“

“Raphael…” Lucifer exhales heavily. “I understand that you’re probably a bit bored up there, but I find I’m reluctant to let you follow me into Hell.”

“Luc-“ Raphael starts to argue, but Lucifer’s eyes flicker red, and he subsides.

“For one thing, archangel feathers can be used by demons to cross planes to Earth, and I don’t need any more hitchhikers winding up here causing trouble. For another, Hell is _nothing_ like the Silver City, or Earth. You’re really not familiar with Earth- I’m certainly not comfortable bringing you to Hell. It would be like tossing a fledgling off the highest spire!

Raphael deflates, his shoulders slumping in disappointment, and Lucifer decides to make a peace offering. “I do have these ‘treatment plans’ for some of the loops. If I show you the loop situation and the treatment plan, perhaps you can give me your opinion on them?”

Raphael’s eyes brighten with a smile, and Lucifer dutifully retrieves the completed plans Linda had provided him, handing them to his brother along with the loop scenarios. The brothers then lose themselves in their own respective stacks of paperwork- Raphael reviewing, and Lucifer noting down still more loops to be addressed- one or the other occasionally tossing out observations.

This is how Chloe finds them an hour later, peaceably sharing workspace like two students dutifully completing their homework.

*********************************

The psych evaluation was brutal. The psychologist left no mental stone unturned, no sore spot unprodded. Her evaluation file was getting thicker – each time a traumatic event occurred on duty an officer has to complete and pass the evaluation before returning to active duty, and Chloe has had a lot of traumatic events over the past few years. Like all the others, though, she scores a pass. This time, the evaluator did make a recommendation that she consider attending at least a few therapy sessions with a professional to address some issues that weren’t currently causing a true problem, but had the potential to if left unchecked. A truly high stress and anxiety level, for one, and borderline depression for another. Chloe didn’t bother to point out that the depression was likely no longer incipient since her partner was returned, and agreed to see a therapist. She’d have to remember to book something with Linda soon- she couldn’t imagine trying to open up to anyone else about the issues she would need to address in session.

She suppresses a smile at the memory Lucifer’s comment early this morning, about Linda having the resources to have her committed. _Like Lucifer wouldn’t be right there to break me out._

Ella spots her on the way out, and excitedly waves her into the lab.

“Chloe!” She squeals, bouncing. “How did it go?! I mean, it was fine, I _know_ it was fine, but- it was fine, right? You’re coming back?”

“Ella,” Chloe laughs, grabbing the younger woman’s arms to hold her still. “It’s fine! They gave me a couple more days off, but I’ll be back on Friday to start two weeks of desk duty before they let me back in the field.”

“Oh, thank _God._ ” Ella’s eyes widen and Chloe tries so hard not to giggle that she winds up snorting instead. “I mean- um…”

“Just… try not to say it in front of Lucifer, okay? It’s an adjustment, right?” Chloe commiserates.

“So, uh, a couple more days off, huh?”

“Yeah, it actually works out pretty well, because Lucifer’s planning another trip on Thursday, so I’ll be able to concentrate on that instead of being distracted while trying to shuffle through paperwork all day.”

“Oh wow, really? Ooh right, time goes way faster down there…”

“Yeah, he’s really eager to get started on those loops- we got news early this morning that a second soul arrived in Heaven, so-“

“Another one! That’s fantastic! Oh man, I am so excited for him, it seems like this is something he’s been working toward for such a long time- and now _two!_ ” Ella throws her arms around herself and squeezes, and Chloe giggles a little at the self-hug. “So, what, you got, like a message from Hell or something?”

“Actually, the uh, opposite. We got a surprise visit from one of Lucifer’s brothers that told us.”

“Which brother?!” Ella’s eyes widen with excitement.

“Raphael?”

“Holy shitake mushrooms, Chloe!” Ella exclaims, “You’re gonna be on first-name basis with the entire Host!”

Chloe snorts and shakes her head. “I sure hope not. I’ve got my hands full with one slightly damaged Devil, I wouldn’t know what to do with the rest of them.”

“Speaking of our Devil- how’s he doing?”

“I’m not sure, after his session with Linda,” Chloe pulls out her phone and frowns. No texts from Lucifer is unusual, for as long as they’ve been separated today. Of course, he knew she was going to be in her evaluation, and perhaps he didn’t want to distract her… She sends him a quick text to let him know she was done, and she’d be there in an hour and feels a cool wave of relief when he responds right away with a long string of icons. “We’re having dinner at the penthouse tonight, I was just heading over there. Oh.”

“Oh, what?” Ella asks attentively.

“If I’m reading this right, it looks like Raphael is there now, and will be staying for dinner. Which is apparently Italian.”

“Well, damn. No Lady and the Tramp moments for you tonight, hm?” Ella nudges her with an elbow, eyebrows wriggling suggestively.

“Ella…” Chloe laughs helplessly, leaning into her friend. “It’s really been-“

“Hey Ella- oh! Hey Chlo’! Evaluation all done, huh?” Dan breezes into the lab and stops short in surprise at finding Chloe there.

“Yeah. I passed, but I’m not back on desk duty ‘til Friday. How’s Trixie doing? I can probably take her tomorrow if you-“

“Oh, no, that’s fine! I love having her, you know that, and she’s all settled in.” Dan jumps in nervously, fidgeting with the file in his hands. “You just… enjoy your time.”

“You okay, Dan?” Dan had been a little nervous around Lucifer since his unplanned Divine Reveal, but with the support of Ella, Linda, and Amenadiel had adjusted quite well.

 _Hell of a lot better than me…_ Chloe thinks to herself wryly, feeling her gut twist.

“Yeah! I’m good, really Chloe. I’ve been texting everyone with loads of questions, and they’ve been great about answering, even the ones that are probably pretty stupid.” He smiles at her shyly. “It’s just really nice having Trixie around, my apartment is so… quiet.”

Chloe nods understandingly. She knows that feeling entirely too well and feels an overwhelming sense of gratitude that it’s not the case for her right now, followed immediately by a small pang of guilt for enjoying her improved situation when Dan’s is still unchanged. She makes a mental note to check with Trixie to see if she would want to spend an extra half day, or day with Dan every couple of weeks. They already split time pretty much in half, and she loathes giving up her coveted time with her daughter, but if Dan needs the company…

“How did the, uh, the thing go the other day? The… trip?” He looks around furtively, making sure no one is near enough to hear.

 _Honestly, how did this man hide his involvement in Palmetto from me for nearly a year? I really should consider a voluntary demotion…_ Chloe shakes herself out of her thoughts to respond with a genuine smile. “Really well! A couple of surprising developments – good ones—and no rebellions or attacks, so I think he was quite pleased with it.”

“Hey, that’s great! I know you were worried about him going back. Trixie told me a little bit, and then Ella filled me in on the rest.”

Ella nods in confirmation. “Gotta make sure my boy here stays in the loop, er.. in the _know_. Stays in the know. Definitely _not_ the loop.”

Chloe huffs a laugh. “Like I said, it’s an adjustment, Ella. I was just saying, Dan, that Lucifer’s planning another trip on Thursday, but it should be another short one. Maze and Amenadiel are going with him again.”

“Don’t worry, Chloe. They can definitely handle anything Hell can throw at them.”

“Yeah, you know I’m a worrier.” She gives him a small smile and Dan reaches over to pat her on the shoulder. She moves her hand to pat his fingers once, and steps toward the door. “I’ve got to be going, supposed to meet Lucifer for dinner with his brother.”

“We’ll talk later, okay chica? _I won’t forget!”_ Ella’s smile widens at Chloe’s attempt to suppress her blush.

As she walks away she hears the murmur of their voice in conversation, followed by a burst of Dan’s voice, “ _The **archangel Raphael?!** ”_

Chloe snickers to herself. _Definitely an adjustment._

The drive to Lux takes longer than it should, even for rush hour traffic. Chloe pulls into her reserved space in the parking garage next to Lucifer’s collection of classic (and some not-so-classic) cars, and makes for the elevator on autopilot. The lift stops at the Lux level and she’s met with a delivery boy bearing food, so she opts to sign the credit slip and save him the trip upstairs, leaving him with a generous tip as she resumes her upwards journey. The doors slide open with a soft chime, and she’s greeted by a pair of celestial siblings gathered around the bar with papers strewn everywhere, heads bowed close together. The darker of the two heads pops up at her approach with a happy grin.

“Detective! Oh, and you caught dinner, excellent.” Lucifer stands and starts clearing the bar of papers, tapping them into a neat stack. He strides toward her to relieve her of the bags of food, and brushes his lips against her temple. “Raphael has offered his assistance with my Faultless scenarios, so we’ve been going over the Doctor’s finished treatment plans, then reviewing some of the ones I’ve written down this evening. How was the evaluation, love?”

He turns back to the bar and Chloe follows a pace behind him, exchanging a greeting with the other angel. She decides to address the question first. “The evaluation was fine. They want me to see a therapist for a little while because of recent, um, anxiety and depression, but I can start on desk duty on Friday.”

Lucifer eyes her in concern, and she smiles reassuringly. “I told them I would, but now that you’re home, I don’t think either of those will really be an issue going forward.” She reaches for him, and his hand meets hers. “I just.. missed you. I wanted you back.”

His eyes warm with a smile, and her stomach does a little flip with the knowledge that if Raphael weren’t two feet away right now, their dinner would likely get cold tonight. “Well,” he says briskly, “It is a good thing then, that I asked Linda if she would be able to see you? I don’t want to overstep, darling, but we do need to start addressing that little issue we discussed in the office the other night as well…” His face crumples as he realizes he may, in fact, have gone a bit too far.

Chloe feels her face heat, and for a moment can’t decide if it’s from embarrassment or anger. She doesn’t want to fight in front of Raphael, so she decides that neither is really valid – she was already planning to ask Linda, there is nothing to be embarrassed about needing someone to help talk through trying situations, and Lucifer had already _told_ her that he was going to talk to Linda about her guilt issues.

“ _Close_ to overstepping, but not quite over the line- so yes, it’s a good thing. I’ll call her tomorrow to see what she can set up.” His expression relaxes into such an exaggerated look of relief that she can’t help but chuckle softly. She squeezes his hand again, and drops it to help unpack the laden bags.

“So, what do you think of these loops, Raphael? Any new insights?”

“I very much hope to meet this Dr. Martin, Miss Decker.” Raphael’s eyes are bright with enthusiasm. “I have read the scenarios she has addressed, and her plans to help lead the souls to realizing the truth of their own circumstances, and it seems she has a brilliant mind. I have already heard this from two independent sources – three, including my brother here!- but I would truly love to be able to have a conversation with her.”

“That will entirely depend upon Linda, Raphael. We can make the request, but she is understandably wary about celestials and other non-humans poking about her family.” Lucifer warns.

“Yes,” Raphael’s face darkens a bit, “I know Remiel has muddied the waters with her impromptu hunt. I will ask Amenadiel if he will broker a meeting with her.”

“That seems like a reasonable place to start, Raphael.” Chloe approves, “But in the meantime, let’s have dinner. Lucifer, which of these is mine?”

In the end, they all share a bit of their meals with the others in the manner of an Italian sampler platter. Raphael tries everything with enthusiasm and proclaims it all delicious. Lucifer light-heartedly jokes that one can never go wrong with Italian food as an introduction into human cuisine. Chloe promises to make sure he tries gelato at some point, and Raphael is immediately intrigued.

Watching the positive interactions between the brothers, Chloe feels her heart flutter. Raphael seems to genuinely want to help, and his demeanor is warm and open.

 _If two of Lucifer’s brothers are willing to reconcile with him – maybe the rest will, too? If… if Lucifer succeeds with this project, and his siblings accept him, will his Father forgive him and bring him back home?_ Icy fingers dig into the pit of her stomach. Chloe knows her partner, sometimes better than he knows himself. He loudly proclaims how boring Heaven is, _was_ , but she also knows that being ostracized by his entire family for thousands of years is a deep injury that Lucifer has covered with a ratty bandage of scorn and anger. If he _could_ go home… would he?

“Detective?” Lucifer’s voice breaks through her reverie and she snaps back to the present. “Where were you, darling?”

“Just watching you two together.” She smiles, leaning into his shoulder and wrapping an arm around his back in a gentle squeeze. His chin rests against the crown of her head as his arm drapes across her shoulder. “You seem comfortable.”

“Raphael has always been _straightforward_ in his interactions, my dear. _He_ is not typically one I suspect of having ulterior motives…” Lucifer’s arm tightens around her shoulder, and the unspoken part of that sentence tells Chloe _“But I don’t trust him yet.”_ And she nods her agreement to the silent statement. Benefit of the doubt then, she can work with that.

After dinner is cleared away, Raphael looks an inquiry at Lucifer, who makes an “after you” gesture with his hand toward Chloe. She lifts an inquiring eyebrow at the pair of them, and crosses her arms in front of her chest. “Care to share what you two have been plotting this afternoon, aside from loop alterations?”

Lucifer chuckles, and chooses to tackle that particular grenade. “Well, Detective, you may recall a conversation we had a few days ago, about exactly _how_ human I am when we’re together.” Chloe feels her face heat at the memory of that discussion, and nods in acknowledgement. “Well, I’d mentioned at the time that Raphael might have been able to tell us, but that he wasn’t likely to drop in for Sunday dinner… As it happens, I wasn’t wrong- but perhaps we can make an allowance for a Tuesday dinner instead?” A small smile graces her partner’s lips, and Raphael rolls his eyes in his brother’s direction.

“Miss Decker, we discussed some of the changes I have noticed in my brother since the last time I saw him, and even before that. He had mentioned that you had both uncovered some concerns about accidentally siring offspring due to the changes in my brother’s constitution when he is physically near you. I merely offered to Read the pair of you to settle the matter, if you would like to know for certain.”

“You can tell us if we’re… compatible?”

“Well, I can tell you if the physical act of love can result in offspring between the two of you. Your compatibility with one another is far beyond my realm of expertise, I’m afraid. Would you like to know?”

Chloe glances at Lucifer, standing close beside her. He grins at her and winks. “He’s already Read you once without your permission. I advised him that to do so twice would not be a wise decision on his part. I leave this decision in your hands, Detective, I will accept your choice in this matter.”

“Then, I accept your offer, Raphael. What do you need from us?”

“Nothing dramatic, Miss Decker. Please join hands with my brother, and I will Read the pair of you.”

Lucifer smiles at her and holds out his hand with a slight bow. She takes it, and they thread their fingers together in a tight clasp. Raphael approaches and closes his large hands over the entwined ones. Chloe feels again that pins-and-needles tingling from before, more intense this time, but still not painful. She’s reminded, oddly, of an old-fashioned hand-fasting ceremony, and she glances up to find Lucifer gazing at her. His eyes are deep and warm, lit with the soft smile spreading across his face as her eyes meet his and she feels the rush of blood to her cheeks as she flushes. Their eyes lock, and their free hands find each other and intertwine as well. They lose themselves in their gaze for a moment until a tiny sound of a throat clearing breaks their tightly-woven spell. Chloe blinks, and turns her attention to the sandy-haired angel standing before them, looking slightly amused.

“As I believe our sister Azrael would say, ‘You two are adorable.’” Raphael’s chuckle lights his hazel eyes as he steps away from the pair. “Would you like your results now?”

“Thank you, brother, that would be very helpful.” Lucifer pulls himself up taller, trying to recover from being called ‘adorable’ by his sibling. Chloe nods her agreement, and sidles closer to Lucifer, resting her shoulder against him. Their hands remain clasped.

“Biologically, the two of you are not compatible to conceive a child. My brother is still completely angelic, even in your presence, Miss Decker, even if he is more vulnerable than his normal state. You need not worry about an accidental gravidity in your pairing.”

A palpable wave of relief washes over Chloe, and she can see a reflection of it in Lucifer’s expression as well. Chloe also feels a small pang of disappointment. She doesn’t want another child - and she certainly knows Lucifer’s views on the matter!- but now that the option is off the table she take just the briefest moment to mourn the loss of the possibility.

“Thank you, Raphael. Your Reading is appreciated,” Chloe finally responds, when it appears Lucifer is still lost in his tide of relief at the verdict. The archangel nods in acceptance, and readies himself to leave.

“I have enjoyed our time together, Lucifer, and look forward to seeing your progress with the loops.” His eyes are alight with eagerness as he continues, “May I visit again in future? I can ponder the unaddressed loops we’ve gone over today and bring you my ideas for them?”

Chloe can feel the low chuckle rumbling in Lucifer’s chest at his brother’s enthusiasm. “Yes, brother, but please do announce yourself first- Can’t have you bursting in at all hours, think of the Detective’s sense of decency!”

Raphael smiles at his brother’s teasing. “Should I obtain one of those tiny square devices you use for communication, so I can warn you of my approach, brother?”

Lucifer puts on an aggrieved sigh. “I suppose I could add you to my data plan, if it comes down to that. For now, though, perhaps you could just arrive on the balcony outside the sitting room here, and _knock._ If I’m not here, you have permission to enter and leave a note, and I will pray to you when I am available for a visit.”

“That makes good sense. I look forward to our next meeting. Miss Decker.” He nods farewell, and turns to access the balcony, disappearing in a flash of russet feathers.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Explicit rating applies here, but there are important plot points as well. I have accepted that I have zero control over what these guys are doing, and that I exist merely to write it down.

“Well!” Lucifer sighs, clapping his hands together. “That was a fun evening.”

“It was nice to see you and one of your brothers enjoy some time together, Lucifer.” Chloe ventures tentatively, following her partner as he heads back to the bar. He pours himself a measure, and she declines his offer of a glass for herself, leaning on the bar next to him instead.

“I think he’s been a bit bored. Not a lot of call for healing skills in the Silver City, of course. He’s decided he wants to help with the loop reset planning.” He takes a slow sip of his drink and bumps his shoulder against hers. “Hellfire, I need a smoke.”

“Would the Healer have lectured you if you tried to smoke in front of him?” Chloe keeps her face straight, but Lucifer spots the teasing anyway.

“I didn’t want to find out. Will you come out with me?” Chloe nods, and they set off for the balcony, where Lucifer immediately pulls out his silver cigarette case and his lighter.

“Are you okay?” Chloe prods a bit. Family matters are always sensitive with Lucifer, but now that she knows more, maybe…

“I’m not entirely certain.” Lucifer’s voice is quiet, barely audible over the faint sounds emanating from the city far below. “Raphael and I spoke of some of the changes he mentioned.”

“The ones he says he saw in you?” Chloe steps up to the railing, and Lucifer takes a deep drag on his cigarette, the tip flaring brightly in the dimness as he inhales.

“Mmhm.” His dark eyes flicker to her face, then back over the balcony. “I’m not.. sure what to make of it.”

“Can you tell me?”

“I can’t see what Raphael can see, of course, so I can only explain as he described it to me.” He takes another deep pull on his cigarette. “He says that I am not ‘human’ or ‘mortal’ when you are nearby, only that my angelic grace is lessened so that I become vulnerable.”

“Does he know why? What it means?”

“He doesn’t,” Lucifer turns to face her more fully, “But I might have an idea, at least of why.”

“You do?” Chloe’s eyebrows lift in surprise as she meets his gaze.

“Mm. It’s just a theory, but it seems to fit.” She lifts her eyebrows, further, encouraging him to continue. “We had a further conversation about the idea of self-actualization amongst angels-“

“Lucifer, is this you changing the subject?”

He chuffs a laugh. “No, Detective, I think this is the answer. I think I… _make myself_ vulnerable, with you.”

“You think… what, you think you’re doing this to yourself? Like your… Devil face?” Chloe speaks slowly, her brain turning over possibilities. “Lucifer, why?”

“Hell if I know,” he blurts, followed by a wry chuckle. “Detective, if I had any clue how self-actualization works…”

“I just thought- you seemed to have gained some control over your wings’ appearance- you can pull out your dragon wings on demand now, and…”

“Ah, well, that’s a bit different- those are the wings that apparently go with my Devil face. I gained control over when and how to show _that_ eons ago, barring our little adventure with my surge of self-hatred after… after Julian.” His eyes flicker down before returning to her face, and she steps forward, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head against his chest.

He stubs out his cigarette and drops it into his now-empty glass before closing his arms gently around her, sighing heavily and pressing his chin on top of her head. She turns and presses her lips against his throat, and she feels the rumble of his voice in his chest as it quietly ripples in the still air around them. “I don’t deserve you, darling.”

“None of that.” Her reprimand is soft, but firm. “We all make mistakes, Lucifer. All we can do is acknowledge them, try to make amends, and move forward trying to do better, right?”

She pulls him closer when he doesn’t respond right away and eventually he melts, folding himself around her and holding her tightly. Finally, he brushes a kiss to her temple, and pulls away, keeping one arm around her shoulders as he leans back on the railing.

“So, you talked about self-actualization… what else?”

“Hm?”

“You said you discussed the _changes_ Raphael had noticed. Which indicates there was more than your vulnerability.”

“Yes, well. The next bit is probably a bit harder to explain- but I will try.” He felt Chloe tense next to him, then relax when she realized that he wasn’t going to refuse to answer. She rests her head against his shoulder and waits for him to continue. “Raphael can see more than the physical body, as I think you have seen now. He can see souls, and we discussed the changes he’s seen in mine, not only presently, but from my time in the Silver City as well.”

“Souls can change?”

“Oh, of course, Detective. The tarnished and stained souls in Hell didn’t arrive on Earth that way, after all.”

“And?”

Lucifer details his conversation with Raphael regarding the loss, and apparent recovery of his soul’s light, and concluded with Raphael’s determination of their Bond.

“Soul bonding is an actual thing?” Chloe interjects, sounding starstruck.

“Apparently, but it’s not like those ridiculous romance novels that Ms. Lopez is always prattling about.” Lucifer chuckles. “Raphael says there is no predetermination as to what kind of relationship a Bond will take, they can even be antagonistic, or between parent and child, co-workers… lovers. You need not worry that my Father has been toying with your emotions.”

“I wasn’t worried, Lucifer.” She snuggles further into his warmth as a cool ocean-scented breeze wafts over them and his arm tightens across her shoulders, his hand briskly rubbing up and down her upper arm.

“He says that the only common theme among Bonded souls is that they play an important role in each other’s lives, but there doesn’t seem to be a way to know what that role will be.”

“I’m just glad I’ve _got you_ , Lucifer,” Chloe whispers, her voice vibrating with emotion. “I’m so glad you came back to me.” Suddenly the weight of the day comes crashing down on her, the ache of their longest time apart since he’s returned soothed by the relief of having him back by her side and suddenly that small distance between them is far too much.

Lucifer starts to speak, but Chloe’s lips are on his, body pressing close. His lips part in surprise and she presses forward, her tongue darting forward to slide against his. After a moment Lucifer gathers himself and responds, his broad hands hot against the skin at her waist as he pulls her flush against him. An eager whine catches in her throat as her hands clutch at the back of his neck, sealing her lips to his. He tastes of malted alcohol and tobacco, and he responds by moving them both slowly back to the chaise and pulling her down with him. They lose themselves in the other’s proximity for a tiny eternity, lips and hands moving and exploring as breaths mingle. She finally breaks the kiss to brush her lips along his jawline and a low moan escapes him as she continues down the side of his neck, sending a jolt of electricity to the center of her being. His breath catches as her teeth lightly scrape the skin where his shoulder begins.

“I’m not complaining, love,” His words whisper past her ear on a wave of heated breath, “but is everything all right?”

She doesn’t respond right away, but allows her lips to trace back up his throat, ending with a lingering kiss to his lips. When she finally pulls away he tries to follow and she can’t hide her smile.

“Everything is good, Lucifer, I just… I missed you today.” She melts into him, and they lay together on the chaise, with her draped partially on top of him, head resting just over his heartbeat. “It’s the longest we’ve been apart since I got you back, and it suddenly felt like forever. Sorry if I’m a bit clingy…”

“Oh no, darling, I’ll have no apologies for that. I rather enjoy this clingy side of you, please feel free to attach yourself to my person whenever you feel the slightest whim.” His lips linger against the crown of her head, and she feels the warmth of his breath in her hair as his heartbeat thrums below her ear. He continues, quietly, “I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve thought of having you in my arms like this.”

His arms tighten carefully around her, and she feels… safe. Complete, and utterly content. A comfortable silence envelops them as they gaze at the few stubborn stars dimly visible in the LA sky. Chloe has nearly dropped into a doze when Lucifer’s tender whisper eddies past her ear.

“I love you, Chloe. More than I can say.”

His words fill her with a spreading warmth and she opens her eyes to find his gaze boring into her with an intensity that takes her breath away. He's said it before, but she’d spent so long thinking she would never hear them from him… a tear escapes the corner of her eye and soaks into the soft cotton of his shirt. He feels the warmth of the drop and sits up a bit to better see her face, a look of concern crossing his face.

“Nothing’s wrong, Lucifer. I’m just happy.” His brow smooths as he processes her statement, and the corner of his mouth turns up in a small smile. “I love you, too.”

His hand moves to gently brush her temple, sliding his fingers into her hair as his lips softly claim hers. Chloe’s eyes flutter closed, her hand trailing down the side of his neck to his chest. She traces his lips with the tip of her tongue, and when he parts for her she teases him, flickering past his lips too quickly for him to taste her. He responds by deepening the kiss with a low growl, pulling Chloe astride him. The bulge of his erection grazes her core, and a moan resonates up from her chest, becoming trapped in the enclosed spaces of their mouths.

In a single swift movement Lucifer surges to his feet, Chloe held against him with her legs wrapped tightly around his waist as he walks them through the glass doors to the bedroom without breaking their kiss. He stops at the bedside, and Chloe slides down his body so her feet rest on the floor, her fingers busily working at the buttons on his shirt. Their lips part long enough for their clothing to be stripped and strewn across the room before gravity draws them together again. Lucifer’s skilled hands span her shoulders, burning a wide path down her back to her waist, where they hook around her hips and tug her against him. She yanks him hard toward her and the pair unbalances, falling together back onto the mattress. Lucifer’s supernatural reflexes catch them before his full weight lands on top of her but her hands continue to pull him forward until his body rests on hers, pressing her into the mattress with the bulk of his upper body weight resting on his forearms.

His lips languidly travel from her mouth, down her throat and along her shoulder. Her fingers thread into the hair at the nape of his neck, and she feels goosebumps prickle his skin there as she breathes his name into his ear. His body flexes against hers and her breath catches at the surge of heat pooling in her belly. She hooks a leg over his hip and pulls him in closer, whining in need as an urgent groan stirs from him. His erection twitches against her stomach and suddenly they are both moving, afire. She feels him fumbling in the nightstand for a wrapper, and he has it in place and is sliding inside her before she can frame a thought. After that there is no room for anything but their hands, their lips, their bodies moving in concert. He pushes inside her and she opens to him enthusiastically, welcoming each other home after a keenly felt absence. Soft sounds of pleasure and encouragement accompany their movements, slowly increasing in volume and urgency as their need for one another pulls them closer and closer to ecstatic completion. Chloe keeps him atop her, lifting her hips to meet his vigorous thrusts and resisting any temptations to roll her astride him this time. 

His hips roll against her and they moan in harmony as she tightens around him, and he feels the low throbbing in his groin warning that he won't last much longer. Allowing a bit more of his weight to press into her, he moves a hand between them, fingers lightly brushing her clit as his thrusts pick up speed and intensity. A keening wail works its way from her throat and he breaks their kiss long enough to fully enjoy the sensations it brings to him as it shatters the air around them, shivering through him like the finest music and resonating deep inside him where that exquisite throbbing resides. She clenches around him hard and now it's his own cry that explodes from him, her name bursting from his lips and joining with his own name from hers as he pulses inside her, flexing in rolling motions against her as they ride their waves of bliss together, trembling in the aftershocks. He does not collapse onto her, but does allow his head to drop into the hollow of her shoulder, teeth nipping a small lovebite over her bullet scar that his tongue immediately soothes. She pulls him closer, wanting to feel the weight of him- if only for a little while- and he finally relents, allowing himself to be enclosed completely with her arms and legs tangled hopelessly around him. She sighs contentedly and he chuckles, but moves to pull away far too soon for her desires. She tightens her hold, burying her face in his neck and making a negative sound at the back of her throat.

He flexes sinuously against her again and she shivers, his hands sliding between her back and the mattress and gripping her to him as he rolls them to a sitting position on the edge of the bed, with her astride him. She gasps at the difference in the feel of him filling her, clinging tightly to him with her fingers digging into his shoulders. He groans against her throat, and she feels him hardening inside her as a pleasant coil of tension starts rebuilding in her stomach.

"Detective..." His voice is strained, "I can promise that this johnny does not have the capacity for another round. We're going to need a brief interlude, I'm afraid." She pulls him closer and he chuckles, pressing soft kisses along the length of her throat interspersed with little murmurs of pleasure as he waits patiently for her to let him go. "You know," he mutters against her skin, "I used to be able to hold out _much_ longer... you are terrible for my self-control, woman."

She breaks out laughing, pulling back to see his amused expression. "I wasn't sure you actually _had_ self-control, Lucifer."

"Oh, you wound me, Detective!" He clutches his chest melodramatically, and she leans forward to plant a kiss on his bare chest next to his hand. Finally, she manages to pull away, both feeling the sudden chill at the reluctant space between them. He brushes a kiss to her temple and strides quickly to the bathroom to clean up.

He returns to the room a few minutes later and huffs a laugh when he finds her starfished under the covers, relishing the delicious tingling of muscles well-used.

"Is there room for a second in there, darling, or am I relegated to the settee for the remainder of the evening?"

She grins up at him and scoffs. "Get in here, you goof."

"Oooh, bossy. I _like_ it." He slides between the sheets and she rolls into his side as his arm tugs her close. She tangles her legs with his and drapes an arm over his stomach and they relax against each other, content. She lifts her face and presses a gentle kiss to the point of his scruffy chin.

"Lucifer?" She ventures quietly.

"Hm?"

"Will you... tell me about your scar?" She trails her fingers lightly over it, a thin silvery line interrupting the otherwise immaculate stubble of his throat, just under his chin.

His hand reaches to touch it almost unconsciously, brushing her fingers with his. "It's not a pleasant memory, Detective," he begins with a soft sigh. "Are you sure you want to know?"

"If you're willing to tell me, I'd like to know." She rests her head against his chest, feeling his heartbeat under her cheek.

"Very well." His voice is heavy. "I told you I got it from my brother. It happened during the final battle of my rebellion."

Chloe is immediately sorry that she asked him for this tale. She knows his rebellion is a sore subject indeed, and had thought the scar a remnant of one of his encounters with Amenadiel. 

"Lucifer, you don't-"

"No, Detective, it's quite all right. You should know." He shuts off the bedside lamp and hugs her tighter for a moment before continuing his narrative. "Rebellion is probably a dramatic word for what it truly was, you know. I, and a few of my more independent siblings had approached Father to ask for - all right, perhaps to _demand_ \- free will for ourselves. It's not something that comes standard in celestial beings, we're made for obedience to our purpose. Word of our demand got out among the Host and the outrage was... tremendous."

He is silent for a moment, and Chloe soothingly rubs her hand along his chest, feeling his heart rate picking up under her cheek. She feels him swallow, and his rich voice drifts into the velvety dark again. "The siblings that had sided with me were - unfortunately- even more hot-headed than I, and fighting ensued. There weren't six hundred and sixty-six of us as a certain book would have you believe, but perhaps two hundred of us all told. I forbid the use of arms against our siblings, but they did not listen. In the end, around a dozen of my siblings- on both sides- were dead. I refused to fight against Michael and he chained me, dragged me through the Silver City through the phalanx of the Host. They..." he trails off for a moment before clearing his throat to continue, "They tore at my wings, yanking my feathers out, breaking the bones and the shafts until they dragged in the street behind me."

In the dark, Chloe can picture it, and tears well in her eyes that she refuses to let fall. She knows Lucifer will interpret her crying as pity for him, and her throat is too constricted to explain compassion versus pity to him right now.

"When we reached the plaza, Michael threw me to the ground in front of Father's dais. I had been chained in a way that I could not rise on my own, and I refused to lift my head when Father demanded it. I was... furious. Humiliated." His voice is dark, trembling with old rage and Chloe can feel him physically struggling to hold back the litany of vitriol he yearns to unleash- trying to relate the story in as neutral a manner as possible... as though it had happened to someone else. _In a way, perhaps it had. He has worked so hard to distance himself from the person he was in the Silver City- Choosing a new name, a new identity; trying so hard to leave Samael and his failed rebellion behind._

"When I wouldn't meet Father's eye, Michael stepped forward and pressed his sword to my chin, forcibly lifting my face. He dug the blade in far enough that I tasted blood in my mouth, and he kept it there as my Father read out our - _my-_ crimes to the Host. When the sentence of Banishment was passed, my siblings that had fought with me were sent to Hell by Father. He kept me behind for a final sentence, as the leader. ' _If you are so intent on leading a bloodthirsty hoard,'_ he said, _'then you shall rule in Hell. Let the demons teach you the true meaning of free will.'"_ His voice catches as he quotes his father's words. "He ordered Michael to cast me from the Silver City. No simple Banishment for me, I was to Fall. Michael lifted me by my chains, high above the outer gates. I pleaded with him- we had been close, before - but he was closed to me. I managed to scale my chains and grabbed at his shoulder just as he released my chains. His wing tangled in the longer chains, and the chain between my wrists was so short, his shoulder got caught in it and I felt the bones in his wing and shoulder snap. I tried to hold on, but of course I fell..."

Chloe buries her face in his chest, trying- and failing- not to picture Lucifer falling, screaming for his brother as his useless, shattered wings fluttering weakly, streaming in the winds of his plummet into Hell.

The silence stretches, and his labored breathing and heart rate gradually slow as she processes his tale. Finally, she asks "What did your Father mean, about letting the demons teach you about Free Will?"

"Well, before He gifted humanity with free will, there were no human souls in Hell." The answer comes quietly, hesitantly. "One of the perks of total obedience is a total lack of guilt or responsibility. With free will, comes the capacity for guilt, which is what drives humans souls to Hell. So, apparently, Father wanted me to learn the consequences associated with getting what you want versus blindly following orders like a good little solider."

A small smile tugs at Chloe's mouth, and she chuckles. "I'm having a hard time picturing _you_ as any kind of soldier."

He chuffs a laugh. "I was a soldier for a very, _very_ long time my dear. But my innate talents lie elsewhere, it's true. Father often pulled me away for special projects."

"Special projects?"

"Mm. Galaxies, mostly. The odd planet here and there."

"Galaxies."

"Mmhm." She can hear the smile in his voice at her incredulity.

"Is that... something you can.. still-?"

"No. Those were usually joint projects, with Michael. He supplied the energy and... ingredients, if you will. I provided the process and the creativity."

Chloe focuses on keeping her breathing even, though she might be a little freaked out that she's currently snuggling with one of the archangels that helped _create the freaking universe._

 _I guess it's really not all that much weirder than the King of Hell bit, or the I-was-placed-here-by-God bit... Or even the my-partner-has-giant-luminous-wings bit._ And oddly, these equally bizarre facts about her life help ground her enough that she drifts off to sleep, pillowed against her Lightbringer.


	20. Chapter 20

Lucifer wakes several hours later and tightens his arms around his Albanian field wench blissfully snoring in his embrace. He smiles to himself as the movement interrupts her, and she settles into quieter slumber for the time being. She snuggles into him and he feels himself stirring beneath the sheets, but as tempted as he is to wake her he knows she needs to rest after her mentally draining day. She stirs sleepily against him again and he quietly hisses an indrawn breath at his body’s automatic response to her movements. He pulls away, starting to disentangle himself from her warmth but she clings tightly to him. He’s faced with the choice of disturbing her to create some space between them, or enduring the growing discomfort of his erection as his sleeping partner presses innocently against him. He moves to gently pry her away, but she makes an unhappy little whine and his decision is made without conscious thought.

He grits his teeth and settles back against her and Chloe muzzily snuggles back into him with a contented hum. Lucifer shifts himself, trying to find a position where Chloe’s little stirrings won’t make the situation unbearable, and finally settles for becoming the little spoon. He breathes a sigh of relief as she molds herself against his back, and lets his thoughts wander as she settles into deeper sleep again. He considers the Faultless scenarios he’ll address on his upcoming trip, which fills him with a burning impatience. He wants to do something about them _now_ , but he’s bound by his promise not to go alone. He sighs quietly, and resigns himself to waiting. Patience has never come easily to him, but it is a virtue he can call upon at need. He stays still, his mind running loops just as surely as those poor, damned souls. His head pops up from his pillow at a light tapping from the balcony, and his body tenses as he carefully slides from his Detective’s arms. He calls on his fading talent as he approaches the balcony doors, and relaxes only a bit as he identifies the winged figure pacing along the railing. He releases the fade and snags his robe from the bedpost, sliding it on as he quietly slips through the balcony door.

“Brother, what on Earth brings you back so soon?” Lucifer pitches his voice low, and ushers Raphael to the far side of the balcony off the sitting room to avoid disturbing the sleeping woman inside. “I thought-“

“Lucifer! There’s a been a third Ascension!” Raphael bursts out excitedly, unable to contain himself. “He just arrived yesterday!”

“A- a third?” Lucifer breathes. “Who? Which one??”

“A soldier-“ Raphael begins.

“I know the one.” Lucifer’s lips turn up in satisfaction. “The soldier from a forgotten civil war in a long-buried country. His brother had been part of the opposing army and had died in a battle they had both taken part in. He had nothing to do with it, aside from being in the battle himself…” He had spent a lot of effort on this one- knowing the pain of causing a brother’s death first-hand. He had spoken with him, disguised as a fellow soldier in his loop. Edited the loop to show him the truth- that his involvement in the battle had had no effect on the outcome for his slain brother. Lucifer drops into a chair, sagging in relief. “Brother, this news is most welcome indeed, but to return so soon-“

“There is more, Lucifer!”

“What? More souls??” His eyes widen in shock.

“Oh- no, this is the third, and most recent- for now. But _this_ soul has gathered the attention of Father Himself. Michael and I did not perform this arrival interview, Father took it upon Himself. He was still closeted with him when I left to come here.”

“You must be joking.” Lucifer breaks out in nervous laughter. “Father would never-“

“It is true, brother!” Raphael cries, “Michael and I provided our evaluations of your other Ascended souls to Father, and when this one arrived, He decreed that He would perform this interview in person.”

“Is he angry that I’m meddling?” Lucifer’s voice is even lower now, nearly a growl. “Is he threatened that I’m trying to fix his _broken system?”_

“I don’t-“ Raphael breaks off, puzzled. “He did not seem angry, but He hasn’t spoken of it beyond the instruction that this interview was His alone. Lucifer, I’ve been working on these scenarios you provided me for months, and I have many that I think will be fairly simple to address-“

Lucifer surges to his feet and begins to pace, impatience nipping at his heels. “Raphael, I thank you for this news, and for the work you have put in on these loops. I cannot make another visit to Hell for another full day or more, and yet I want to start now before Father has a chance to try to stop me…”

“Why would he stop you?” His younger brother’s brow furrows in confusion. “And why can’t you go sooner, if you want to go?”

“I’ve made a promise to the Detective – and Mazikeen and Amenadiel- that I will not go to Hell alone. They’ve been ridiculously protective over me since I’ve returned, even though I-“

“Why are you worried that Father will try to stop you from helping these souls Ascend, Lucifer?” Raphael interrupts.

“How am I to know how Father will react to Hell-bound souls suddenly gaining entrance to the Silver City, Raphael?” Lucifer runs his hands through his hair. “Perhaps he won’t like attention being drawn to the cracks he allowed in his bloody _ineffable plan_. Perhaps he won’t like the fact that I’m working around the loopholes he failed to patch up. I just… _I can’t let him stop me from helping these souls, brother._ **I can’t**."

The Healer looks up at his nearly-frantic sibling and Reads the burning pain there. “Then, if you cannot go alone, take me with you. Let me _help_ you, brother.”

Lucifer stops short, his pacing interrupted as he stares down at his brother’s shadowed, earnest face. “Raphael, I can’t- you’re not-“

“Amenadiel trained me just as he trained you. I have not honed my skills by eons in Hell, but my primaries are bladed just as yours are, and my reflexes are as sharp.” Raphael stands and faces him stubbornly, the shorter angel flaring his wings slightly.

Lucifer is torn between protecting his brother and trying to help as many needlessly damned souls as he can before his blasted Father starts trying to prevent him from doing so. His eyes flicker back and forth between his brother’s determined face and the balcony door off the bedroom. He heaves a frustrated sigh and sinks back into the chair.

“All right, but we need to discuss some ground rules.” He leans forward, and Raphael beams as he sits and mirrors his brother’s posture. “First: you will stick close to me- do not leave my side for an instant unless I say so. _If_ I say so, you will return here immediately, to Amenadiel, and immediately report on the conditions when you left me.” Raphael opens his mouth to argue, but Lucifer continues and he subsides to listen. “Second: if we are not actively flying or fighting, you will keep your wings away at all times – I told you archangel feathers can apparently be used to bridge the dimensional gap between Hell and Earth – I can’t have that happen again. Guard your feathers.” Raphael’s face pales a bit in the darkness, but he nods in agreement.

“I don’t like the first rule, Lucifer, at all. Leaving you there…”

“Is something I will only ask of you in the direst of situations, but that is the primary condition if you are determined to accompany me. I won’t deny that I want to get started on these loops sooner rather than later, but I will not break my word to the Detective to do so. If you cannot hold to these conditions, I will not allow you to accompany me, and the loops will just have to wait.” Lucifer’s voice is silk over steel. There is no room for disagreement or dealing, and Raphael bows his head in agreement.

“Hell is your domain, Lucifer, I will respect these conditions. Are there any others?”

“Nothing specific. Be vigilant, brother, always. We must move quickly while we are down there and return as soon as possible. I’d like to be back before the Detective wakes and finds me gone.” Lucifer stands, and Raphael eagerly bounces to his feet, straightening his robes. “Give me a moment to dress, and leave a note for the Detective.”

Raphael nods and starts to pace quietly, mentally running over the plans for the Loop scenarios he’s been formulating. When Lucifer returns to the balcony, he unfurls his leathery wings and Raphael’s eyes widen in concern. Lucifer smirks at him and cocks an eyebrow in his direction.

“The fewer feathers we need to worry about, the better. Don’t forget to guard them carefully, brother.”

They stretch their wings and vanish from the Earthly plane, leaving behind only a brief dual gust of wind that slips through the ajar balcony door. A note on the bedside table flutters to the floor face-down just under the edge of the bed, with the words: “Detective, I’ve taken a quick trip Downstairs with my brother. I should be back before you wake, but didn’t want you to worry in case my timing is off. I’ll make you breakfast when I’m back and we can talk about it.”

********************************

Another slight breeze and a new, yet eerily familiar form materializes on the balcony scant moments after the previous occupants depart. The winged visitor strides to the door and slips silently inside, giving the obliviously snoring occupant of the bed a wide berth as he slowly peruses the room, exploring. He stares in horror for a moment at the garish painting on the wall before moving down the steps into the rest of the flat.

_Is that what humans today think sirens look like? What on earth would possess him to not only obtain such a… monstrosity… but to display it where he sleeps?_ The visitor shrugs to himself. _Perhaps he enjoys nightmares, now. Or, perhaps it provides a respite from other nightmares._

He keeps his wings tucked tightly against his back as he moves soundlessly around the perimeter of the penthouse, running his fingers reverently along the ancient Sumerian walls, snorting quietly at the statue of the rearing horse and rider. Crossing to the bar, he reads the labels on the dimly-lit wall display of bottles before he spies the library on the second level. He climbs the staircase and browses the shelves, smiling wryly to himself as he finds an unsurprising collection of personally dedicated first-edition novels. He comes across an unanticipated selection of treatises on religions on the higher shelves, and a completely expected selection of differing versions of the Kama Sutra and other…. Esoteric literature.

He descends the staircase and circles the piano, mirrored top reflecting the dim lighting from the liquor display. He wishes he could hear the instrument sing, but dares not wake the sleeper. He takes a glass from the bar and pours himself a measure of liquid, settling into one of the cognac-colored chairs in the sitting room to listen to the light snoring of the sleeper, and wait.

***************************

The King of Hell and his brother land in front of the Dark Palace without fanfare, both immediately folding their wings away and striding up the staircase. Raphael’s eager hazel eyes are wide, taking in every intimidating detail of this new realm. The mirror-smooth walls of the edifice dimly reflect the hazy blue light of the realm, and flurries of ash drift in swirls and eddies, clumping in his hair and clinging to his lashes like toxic snowflakes. He shakes his head to dislodge the worst of it as they reach the imposing doorway and pass the threshold.

They no sooner enter the chamber when a demon scrambles into the room and drops to its knees.

“My King!” it cries exultantly, “Welcome home!”

“Indeed,” Lucifer replies wryly. “Take me to the Duke, Gromos, there’s a good lad.”

The demon leaps to its feet and dashes back out the door it just came through, with the brothers pacing close behind. They find Cain bent over a desk, poring over stacks of documents before him. He startles when Gromos announces them, leaping to his feet with a grin as he dismisses the demon.

“Welcome back, Your Majesty.” He smirks at Lucifer, who makes a disgusted face at the title. “What, you prefer Lord Morningstar?”

“You know as well as I that I prefer noting more than my home in Los Angeles. And yet, here we are, _honey_. Kindly report, is there anything new and pressing?”

“There’s a load of new arrivals that need loops assigned, but nothing terribly pressing.” He gestures to some of the taller stacks on the desk. “Two more souls have vanished from the Faultless section, and I was able to take one of the more restless demons from there and assign him somewhere that he could be more… useful.”

“Excellent. How are the rest handling it? Any trouble?”

“Surprisingly, I haven’t heard a whisper of a complaint. You were right- the demons in that sector are _bored_.” Cain scoffs. “Adin has the more intelligent ones scoping out new loops and submitting analysis reports for them, said you had requested it before you left?”

“Ahhh, fantastic. I hadn’t dared to hope. Have you read through them at all? Are they coherent?”

The Duke of Hell shrugs. “They’re written in Lilim, which I admit I’m not very strong in reading yet. Gresvin read me a few of them, but I’m not really sure what exactly you’re looking for from them.”

“Right.” Lucifer glances at his brother, who has been restlessly shifting at his side during this exchange. “Well, if there are no pressing matters, we would like to address some Faultless loops to start. We’ll come back once we’re done and I’ll deal with some of the more urgent Indeterminates and look over those loops the demons have managed to analyze.”

“As you wish,” Cain sketches a small bow, enough to show respect but also recognizing Lucifer’s preference for minimizing pomp. He settles back to his paperwork and Lucifer and Raphael exit to the courtyard.

“Remember to-“

“Watch my feathers, _yes_ brother, I remember.” Raphael nods seriously, and Lucifer smiles, then both brothers take to the Hellish sky. Lucifer leads the way to the Faultless territory, and they touch down, Raphael conscientiously folding his wings away immediately and looking around briefly for any stray feathers. Lucifer nods his approval, and they set off down the corridors. Sounds echo strangely here, Raphael notices, both muffled and magnified, not unlike the noises one would hear when traversing ice caves inside a glacier. _With the dim blue light and the falling ash, really all that’s missing is an arctic chill and snow-blindness to complete the effect_ , the Healer thinks to himself as an unpleasant blast of malodorous heat buffets his face. Lucifer knows the way unerringly: Hell’s landscape is ingrained in his memory, a solid, permanent part of himself and he can never become lost within its territories. Lucifer discusses the highlights of each chamber they pass, what he has tried in the past to help the soul behind the door, and what current edits each loop has in place to try to make a difference. He takes note of a particular door with no small amount of satisfaction, stopping to run his hand over the doorframe as Raphael looks on, curious.

“Brother, what-?”

“Can you feel it, Raphael?” Lucifer’s dark brown eyes are lit with hope. “Here, right here!” He takes his brother’s hand and places just where his fingers had been lingering, and Raphael does- just the slightest gathering of divine light, a soothing coolness barely discernable to one who has been steeped in it for eons, but glaringly obvious and out-of-place here in Hell, so far from all things sacred.

His excitement surges, and he bounces on his heels. “Can we go inside, Lucifer? I’d like to see-“

Lucifer regretfully shakes his head. “No, I don’t want to disturb what’s going on in there. Now that the residue has started to gather, the loop should continue to keep the process going on its own. We must move quickly.”

“Of course. I had forgotten-“ But Lucifer is already striding briskly down the hallway, stopping at the first door they will enter. Raphael catches up to him, but Lucifer turns to address him at the door.

“This will not be pleasant for you, brother.” He begins, his voice low. “This is one of the scenarios that Linda addressed that we reviewed together- a victim of abuse, forced to witness the brutal murder of a person attempting to come to their aid. Do you remember the course alterations that Linda recommended?” Raphael swallows nervously, and nods. “Very well. We will first watch the loop in its entirety, then you can help me decide where best to fit the alterations. If it becomes overwhelming you _must_ let me know, but-“

“No.” Raphael’s voice trembles, but there is a determination there. “I _want to help._ ”

Brown eyes meet bright hazel, and the brothers nod in understanding.

“Then we have work to do.”

*****************************************

Several months later, the brothers emerge from the final loop they’ve come prepared to address. Raphael appears exhausted, but Lucifer- Lucifer is _incandescent_. To Raphael’s Sight he glows at an intensity that Raphael hasn’t seen since before God and Goddess began fighting. His heart swells with joy at seeing his brother so full of hope again, and he nearly doesn’t recognize it, so very out of place it is in this pit of despair.

They return to the Dark Palace and find Cain again at his desk, which he willingly relinquishes to Lucifer.

“The demon analyses are on the right. The Indeterminates are on the left. Do you need me to remain?”

“No. I will send someone for you if something comes up. You’re dismissed.”

Once they’re alone in the room, Lucifer offers the desk to Raphael. “Divide and conquer, brother? Would you like to look over these scenarios and see if they’re worth anything while I tackle the Indeterminate loops?”

Raphael’s eyes light up and he excitedly sits at the desk, pulling the right hand stack to him. He glances at the first sheet, and his face falls. “Oh. Lucifer- I can’t read Lilim.”

“Bollocks, I had forgotten about that. All right, story-time it is, then. He provides Raphael with a stack of blank sheets, and takes the scenarios from his hand, starting to read them aloud. Raphael takes diligent notes until he has a pile to work from, then the brothers each take up their own assigned task until Raphael needs Lucifer to provide him with new material.

_It’s not as efficient as it could be, but it’s far better than tackling the entire project alone_ , Lucifer allows. Another few weeks and the worst of the backlog is addressed. a few of the Indeterminates need personal interviews to determine their loops, and Raphael watches as Lucifer conducts them skillfully.

They are back in the office, and Lucifer is at the desk putting the final details for the now-determined loops onto blank sheets. Raphael watches, fascinated, as Lucifer carefully weaves in points in the loops to start the souls’ paths toward absolving themselves of the guilt that they carry with them.

_I thought him lost to us for so long,_ the Healer thinks to himself, feeling a wave of shame threatening to wash over him. _He has been trying all this time, he just… didn’t know how. I should have reached out. I should have-_

“You haven’t heard a word I’ve said, have you, brother?” Lucifer is smirking at him, waving a hand in front of his eyes as he blinks himself into awareness. “If you’re that tired, Raphael, you should have said so. Exhaustion down here can be-“

“No, I’m fine, Lucifer, I was only… thinking.”

“Do you have another suggestion for the loop with the-“

“No! I think you’re doing a magnificent job, brother.” Raphael assures him earnestly. “I only wish I had offered to help you eons ago-“

“No one knew this was even possible, Raphael! What could you have possibly helped with?” Lucifer’s brows furrow in confusion as his brother struggles to find the words he needs.

“It- it’s not only that.” Raphael stammers. “I only… I just hate the thought that while you were down here for millennia alone, I was up in the Silver City… that I was _so wrong_ about you for _so long_. Lucifer. I am… I am truly sorry, brother.” He moves to embrace his brother, but Lucifer stops him by stepping back and raising his palms in a warning gesture.

“No, brother, not here. Hugs are uncomfortable at any time, but here in Hell they can be a fatal weakness.” His brow remains furrowed, his eyes wide in bewilderment. “I don’t know what brought this on, but we’ll need to address it once we’re topside, if you still feel the need.”

Raphael nods, and Lucifer smooths his expression. “Excellent. Now, then. Paperwork is caught up. If you think any of those demon analyses are worth anything and you have any ideas, we can address them before we leave?”

Raphael shares the ideas he has for the loops in question, and the King of Hell sends for his Duke. Cain appears promptly, cheerfully greeting his King.

“Well! What has you so chipper, Cain?” Lucifer drawls.

“Adin just sent a message that another cell has started to manifest divinity, which means I’ll be able to reassign another demon to a more active sector soon.” Cain smirks. “I’ve even had a couple of demons from the more active sectors asking if they could be reassigned _to_ the Faultless section- they heard about the intel gathering project and are fascinated by the idea of studying them.”

“Well, I’ll be damned…” Lucifer breathes quietly, before clearing his throat and proceeding. “Assign them as you see fit, then. The more loops we can analyze, the sooner we can narrow the population of Faultless. The Determined loops are on the desk, ready to be set in place. Do you have any further business for me? I will be back sooner rather than later, this was a bit of an unplanned trip.”

“Nothing pressing, my lord.” Cain shakes his head.

“Alright, then. Until next time.” Lucifer starts to turn, but whips back again. “If you can find a demon that can write in Enochian-“

“- or latin, Sumerian, or Babylonian!” Raphael interjects.

“-or latin, Sumerian, or Babylonian…” Lucifer dutifully amends, “It may be worth seeing if they have any interest in providing translation services for these analyses.”

Cain incorporates his nod into a bow as Lucifer sweeps from the room with Raphael a scant step behind. A sweep of wings and they’re touching down back in the Faultless region. Raphael can _feel_ the gathering divinity from where he stands, and Lucifer’s face reflects fierce joy as he leads his brother to the same door they had stopped at before, which is now glowing faintly with divine light.

“What is this soul’s story, brother?” Raphael asks quietly.

“Automobile accident.” Lucifer replies shortly, his hand tracing the glowing doorframe. “A true accident- the soul feels guilt because a warning light had come on in the dash the day before, then the brakes failed and the accident resulted in the serious injury of two pedestrians in a crosswalk, and the death of a third.”

“Faultless,” the Healer murmurs, and his brother nods in agreement.

“There are so many of them, brother. I _can’t_ let them remain here if I can help it… they don’t deserve it.” His voice is rough with pain.

Raphael rests his palm on his brother’s shoulder and squeezes. “Then let’s address the changes for these final few, Lucifer, and return to your Detective.”

Lucifer nods decisively and leads the way to the next door. Then the next, and another, until finally the last loop they have a plan for has been addressed. Raphael is wilting, and even Lucifer’s effervescence has dimmed somewhat with exhaustion. The will required to manipulate Loops is considerable, and manipulating so many in the frame of a few months is a heavy burden, even for the King of Hell.

Adin appears as they step through the final door, diffidently waiting to be acknowledged by his King.

“Yes, Adin? Have you a report for me?” Lucifer’s voice is flat, the only way he can currently mask the current of fatigue flowing through him.

“The Duke has provided two more demons to help with the loop analysis project, my King.” Lucifer nods in acknowledgement and the demon continues. “The divinity taint continues to grow stronger around the door you inspected upon your arrival, and we have noted faint stirrings around two more in the last week.”

Lucifer’s eyes dart to Raphael’s, and their each mirror the shock in the other face. “Show me.”

Adin leads them to the doors in question, and the brothers examine them carefully, noting the faintest traces with satisfaction.

“Thank you, Adin, for the update.” The demon startles at the thanks- not a common occurrence in Hell- and bows to his King. “Is there anything more?”

“No, my lord. We will continue the analysis as you ordered, unless you have changes for us?”

“Continue as you have done. If you have demons that can write in Enochian, Latin, Sumerian, or Babylonian, that will be helpful but if Lilim is all we have, it is certainly better than nothing. Back to work then, Adin. I will see you soon.”

The demon scuttles off to his regular duties, and the brothers glance at each other, exultant.

“Ready?” Lucifer rolls out his wings, and this time his glorious pearlescent feathers fan the heated air around them. Raphael grins to see them, and unfurls his own as they take to the murky sky, blinking out as they cross the dimensional plane back to earth. A downy, glowing white feather drifts unnoticed in the eddies left behind, and slowly gets drawn to the faint divine glow around the door, where it disappears without a trace.


	21. Chapter 21

Hours pass and Michael keeps vigil in the penthouse, sitting quietly in the dark and listening to the faint sounds of the city below awakening to a new day, interspersed with the soft (and sometimes not-so-soft- he hadn’t known modern humans could _make_ noises like that!) snores of the woman in the other room. He empties his glass and contemplates another. _Samael always did have good taste. Aside from that unfortunate painting in the bedroom…_ He turns the glass in his left hand, the fingerpads of his right rubbing together in a nervous habit he allows himself to indulge when he is alone.

The pale light of dawn slowly trickles in the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting long spidery shadows along the glassy finish of the floors and still Michael waits patiently. He hears the sleeper stirring restlessly, and shifts his weight in his chair, hoping his brother returns before the woman awakens. Samael he can handle, humans are another unsettling thing altogether. Breakable, weak, faithless creatures. His skin crawls, and he stifles a sigh. _What is he doing that is taking him so long?_ _Did he leave to find another human to entertain him after he exhausted this one?_ He wrinkles his nose in disgust at his brothers’ fascination with his Father’s toys. First Samael escaping his punishment in Hell over and over again to play with them, and now Amenadiel going so far as to procreate with one… He was surprised that Remy had been persuaded to leave the child here, but Amenadiel had always been a force to reckon with and it _had_ been nice to see Remy get taken down a peg.

A sudden silence from the bedroom draws his attention, and he hears the rustle of the sheets and a confused voice emanates from the direction of the bed.

“Lucifer?” The voice is low and clear- pleasant, really. The rustling continues and he hears footsteps retreating in the direction of the washroom. Running water, followed by some swishing noises, and the woman appears in the shadowy doorway of the bedroom wearing a white button-up shirt that is far too large for her petite frame.

“Lucifer?” she says again, and she jumps when he uncrosses his legs, right hand reaching reflexively for her hip. He knows that move, she’s accustomed to carrying a weapon there. “Oh my g- you scared the shit out of me! Why didn’t you _say something?”_

“What would you have me say?” Michael asks lightly.

“You normally don’t need suggestions. Did you get enough sleep?” She teases. He tenses as she comes to sit on the arm of the chair next to him, her hand reaching to ruffle his hair, but he leans away- out of reach. Her brow creases in concern. “Hey, are you okay? Still thinking about those loops?”

“In a manner of speaking.” He knows he won’t be able to pass as his wayward brother for long, and this human apparently knows his brother well enough to tell he’s not acting normally. Michael sighs in frustration. “I should tell you, I am not my brother.”

“You’re not… Lucifer, I don’t-“

“I am not Samael, the one you call Lucifer. My name is Michael.” Chloe reels away from him, and he smirks at her. She’s suddenly unable to see how she ever thought this was Lucifer. His eyes are flat and cold, nothing like her partner’s warm depths. “Fear not, human, I will not harm you. I am here only to collect my brother and bring him before our Father.”

“You’re not taking him anywhere.” Her voice is rock-steady, and deadly serious. Her icy blue eyes bore into his and Michael feels a flicker of respect for this flimsy mortal.

“Oh, I assure you I will be.” Michael lifts an eyebrow in amusement and chuckles darkly. His laugh is brittle, and sends spiders of ice skittering down her spine. “In fact, I highly doubt that he’ll be returning-“

Just then the balcony door opens into the sitting room and a beaming Lucifer spills inside, Raphael close behind.

“Detective!” Lucifer begins cheerily, before he spies the other archangel seated in the room and launches himself between them, mantling his wings to block her from his view. “Keep _away from her, Michael._ ”

“Relax, Samael, I’m not here for your little human.” The darkly amused voice is calm, flat. “Hello Raphael, I didn’t expect to see you.”

Raphael’s eyes are darting between his brothers, finally settling on Lucifer with an unspoken plea.

“Raphael…” Lucifer’s eyes never leave his twin’s. “My first condition for this outing still stands. Go. _Please._ ”

Raphael’s eyes widen in understanding, and with a wingbeat he is gone. Chloe creeps closer to Lucifer, pressing her palm against the small of his back.

“What do you want, Michael.” Lucifer’s voice is a menacing growl, and the hair at the back of Chloe’s neck prickles as she feels it reverberate against her palm. “Why are you here.”

“Well, your little escapade with the souls escaping your keeping down in Hell has finally won Father’s attention.” Michael leans forward to set his empty glass on the floor next to his chair and claps his hands as he stands, and Lucifer sees for the first time the remains of the injury he inadvertently caused his brother during his Fall. His right shoulder hunches in and forward, his left shoulder held in a downward slant to compensate, somewhat giving him the appearance of a hunchback. The right arm is held to his side, slightly curved into his body and clearly not easily maneuvered. Lucifer’s mouth goes dry as he tries not to think about the currently invisible wing damage. Michael continues, oblivious to Lucifer’s internal reaction to seeing his twin’s old injury. “And, since you have _such_ an excellent track record of obedience, instead of sending the Messenger on this little jaunt to collect you, he decided that I had a better chance of success. I must say, Samael, I _do_ hope you’ll fight.”

Lucifer focuses on the heat of Chloe’s palm, pressing against the small of his back.

_If I fight, she fights. She doesn’t know how to stay out of a fight, and I can’t lose her like that._

Michael has an injury, yes, but he is _still_ the Sword. Chloe feels his decision before he opens his mouth and he hears her behind him.

“Lucifer, don’t-“

“I won’t fight.” He talks over her objection. “I’ll go with you, but you will give me a moment to speak with the Detective.”

Michael heaves an obnoxious sigh. “Very well, Samael. You have 3 minutes. Be quick about it.”

Chloe yanks Lucifer back into the bedroom and hisses in his face, “You can’t go with him! He just said you’ll never come back!”

Lucifer’s hands frame Chloe’s face, his eyes are black in the dim morning shadows as he rests his forehead against hers. “Detective, if I fight him here, you will get hurt. He will not kill you directly, but he will have no concern for your safety, and I cannot risk that. I will use every resource at my disposal to return to you as quickly as possible, love, but _I must go with him._ ”

“Lucifer-“

“Do you trust me, Chloe?”

“Of _course I do!_ I don’t trust him! Or your Father!”

Lucifer huffs a watery laugh, and his lips brush against hers softly. “That’s because you’re clever, Detective. I am sorry I wasn’t here when you woke, darling. I did leave a note, at least.”

“Did you-?”

“One minute warning, Samael!” Calls the obnoxious voice from the sitting room.

“If Raphael did what I asked, Amenadiel should be here soon. Tell him what Michael told you, and where we’ve gone. Linda has the loop scenarios. Raphael has more. He’s seen how it’s done now, perhaps he can manage to figure out how to tweak the loops without me if I can’t-“

“You _will come back to me Lucifer Morningstar_ , do you hear me?” Chloe sinks her fingers into his hair, holding him in place. “I only just got you back, I am not losing you to _that_ cheap knock-off.”

“Detective, I will do my-“

“No.” Her voice breaks, but she’s determined not to cry. “No, you will _promise me_.”

He sighs heavily, fingers caressing her face as if memorizing it. “I promise, Chloe. You will see me again.” _I just don’t know when, or how long it will last._

She sees the loophole he’s left himself, but doesn’t call him on it. She flings her arms around him, his silky feathers brushing against her arms and she kisses him, hard enough to bruise. She doesn’t let go until Michael claps a hand on his shoulder, pulling him away, and Lucifer stumbles backward.

“Lucifer!” She grasps his right hand, but Michael yanks him back again, away from her.

“I love you, Chloe,” he whispers hurriedly, and then they’re gone. She’s standing again alone in an empty penthouse, and she suddenly can’t breathe.

************************

“Amenadiel!” Raphael’s frantic voice peals through the house, startling Linda, and eliciting a squawk from little Charlie. “Amenadiel, where are you?”

“Raphael?” Amenadiel hurries down the stairs, dressed in sweatpants and a sweatshirt with “Angels” emblazoned on the front. “Brother, what’s wrong?”

“Lucifer instructed me to come and inform you of the situation I left him in-“

“Is Lucifer okay? What’s happened?” Linda enters the room, Charlie cradled tightly in her arms.

“I left him at the penthouse with Chloe and Michael, and I’m certain that Lucifer sees him as a threat-“

“Michael is here on Earth?”

“Yes, I left them at Lucifer’s home-“

A look passes between Amenadiel and Linda and she nods, pulling out her phone to text Maze. Amenadiel unfurls his wings and nods at his younger brother. “Let’s go there, then.”

A rush of wings and the brothers appear on the penthouse balcony. No sounds of battle emanate from within, and they enter cautiously. The sitting room is empty and completely in order, so no fighting occurred here.

“Raphael, tell me what happened here.”

“He took him.” The voice is broken, almost inaudible if not for their angelic senses.

“Chloe?” Amenadiel moves slowly toward the source of the sound, and finds her huddled on the floor between the bed and the nightstand. Her arms are wrapped around knees drawn up to her chest and she’s rocking slightly. The angel crouches in front of her, as though she were Trixie.

“He _took him_.” She repeats, and Amenadiel’s heart breaks a little to see her this way.

“We’re going to get him back, Chloe.” His voice is calm, soothing and warm. “Raphael can tell us some of what happened, do you want to come into the sitting room?” Her wide, wet eyes stare blankly at him for a moment before she blinks and he can see her come back to herself. _She needs something to do, so… let’s interview a witness._

He extends a hand and she takes it, using it to pull herself to her feet.

Amenadiel steps back, letting Chloe lead the way back into the sitting room where Raphael waits anxiously.

She fixes her hard stare on him, and sits in the chair opposite the one Michael had claimed while he waited. “Let’s start with what happened last night. After Michael kidnapped Lucifer, I found this note on the floor by the bed,” she waves her occupied hand vaguely in the air, “Saying Lucifer was going to Hell with you. What was so _damn important_ that he couldn’t wait for more backup?”

“We received a third ascended soul in the Silver City,” Raphael begins, and Amenadiel and Chloe exchange a wide-eyed glance. “Which in itself would have been momentous enough news! But, when we informed our Father, He elected to conduct the interview Himself. I felt that this news was important enough that Lucifer should be aware…”

Amenadiel’s eyes widen even further, and Chloe goes pale. They both know how Lucifer would react to the news that his Father had taken an interest in his project.

“Lucifer needed to go back to Hell immediately to tweak more loops, because he was afraid Father was going to try to stop him helping the souls Ascend.” Amenadiel supplies confidently, and Raphael nods.

“He was anxious. He told me that he was bound by his promise _not_ to go back without backup, and I… I persuaded him that I could be backup. I wanted to _help_ , I so rarely get to use any of my healing skills at home.” Raphael’s voice is strident in his defense of his reasoning, and Chloe is quick to reassure him.

“It’s fine, Raphael, obviously the problem right now isn’t Hell, but we still need to know what happened.”

“After we arrived and Lucifer was assured nothing needed his immediate attention, he took me to the Faultless loops to start working. We found another that was starting to develop traces of divine residue, and by the time we had finished our work there, two more cells had started.” Raphael’s hazel eyes glow with excitement, the gold threads woven through his green irises flashing in the brightening morning light. “Then we arrived back here, and Lucifer sent me to find you, brother.”

 _Three more souls… Lucifer must have been over the moon to see that._ She swallows hard against her welling tears and forces them down. He had been so _excited_ when they came back.

“Michael told me before you came in that he had been sent to collect Lucifer and take him to your Father. And that he doubted he’d be coming back here.” Her gut twists at the smugness in the archangel’s voice as he’d made that speculation, as though denying Lucifer what he wanted most gave him great satisfaction

“What do you know about the interview Father conducted, Raphael?” Amenadiel asks.

“I know only what Lucifer told me, that the soul had been a soldier with guilt over a fallen brother that had fought for on the other side of a great battle.” Raphael shakes his head. “I left the Silver City while Father was still conducting the interview, so I know not what his findings were. I will return to the Silver City and find out. If Lucifer needs someone to speak for him, I will do so. This is a _worthy_ effort, and these souls deserve the chance to achieve Ascension if they can.”

“I will come with you, brother. Two voices are better than one.” Amenadiel nods “We must hurry, he has already been gone too long.”

“I’m coming with you.” Chloe’s voice is resolute, her no-nonsense “No Arguments” tone that she uses frequently with Lucifer. “I will not be left behind this time.”

“Chloe, you’re human, mortal. You can’t enter the Silver City while you live, we can’t take you across planes that way. Your body wouldn’t survive the crossing.” Amenadiel’s voice is soft, apologetic, and Chloe opens her mouth to argue.

“Miss Decker… what is that in your hand?” Raphael’s curiosity has been caught by her hand holding the crumpled note that had fallen under the bed.

“It’s just the note Lucifer left-“ she pulls the note out and straightens it, and a glint of metal and ebony shines within it. “and Lucifer’s ring. I grabbed his hand when Michael pulled him away, and slipped off his finger. I didn’t get a chance to give it back to him before Michael took him away.”

“Do you know what that ring _is_?” Raphael’s tone is awed, as if he’s never seen anything like it.

“It’s just Luci’s ring, Raphael. He’s had it for awhile now.” Amenadiel shrugs, preparing to roll out his wings to depart.

“ _No_ , brother. I couldn’t see it before, but now- That ring is… alive.”

“Alive?” Chloe holds the ring gingerly now, as though it may bite her. “What does that mean?”

“May I see it, Miss Decker?” Raphael tentatively holds out his hand, and Chloe finds herself reluctant to hand over this piece of Lucifer that she’s managed to keep hold of. Raphael’s eyes soften, likely Reading her emotional state. “You may keep hold of it, if you wish, I merely wish to see if I can Read anything from it.”

“Raphael, we need to be going-“ Amenadiel urges, anxious to go after Lucifer.

“A moment, brother, this could be incredibly important-“ His eyes are unfocused as Chloe reaches out her hand, palm-up with the ring resting in it. His fingers brush the surface of the stone and it blazes white for a moment to their eyes before settling back to polished ebony. Raphael releases a shaky breath, and pulls his hand away. “Miss Decker, you wish to come with us? To speak for Lucifer, should we be needed?”

“Yes! Of course, yes!” Chloe cries at the same time Amenadiel sputters his refusal.

“Raphael, if she tries to cross the plane, she will _die_! You know humans cannot cross with their corporeal bodies intact, and Lucifer would not-“

“Brother! Miss Decker… Chloe, I believe if you wear that ring, you will be able to cross with us.”

“This ring will let me go with you to Heaven? And survive.” Chloe pulls in a deep breath. “It’s a magic ring?”

“Not magic, per se,” Raphael struggles to explain. “That ring holds the immortality of someone that no longer wished to be immortal. I’m not certain, but if you put it on, I will be able to See if you will be able to make the crossing.”

“It’s too big, though, it won’t stay-“ Chloe goes to show him that the ring will simply slide off her finger, but to her surprise it sits snugly, a perfect fit. “But- Lucifer _wears_ this ring, I know his fingers are bigger than mine.”

“Perhaps a little magic, then. She always was a talented one…” A small smile crosses Raphael’s face as he brushes her forehead briefly with his fingertips. Apparently satisfied with what he Sees, he nods his head decisively. “It will be safe for her to cross, brother, if you consent for her to come.”

Chloe shoots a glare at Amenadiel, daring him to try to bar her from going after her partner, and he sighs, lifting his eyes to the ceiling. “Can we please just go now?”

Chloe suddenly looks down. “Um. If I’m going to Heaven, I should probably be wearing pants.”


	22. Chapter 22

“Lucifer!”

He feels Lilith’s ring slip from his finger along with Chloe’s grip as Michael drags them apart. True to his word, he didn’t fight his brother’s grip and allows himself to be dragged away. He keeps his gaze locked on her and manages to breathe a last “I love you, Chloe,” before he finds himself before the Silver City gates. He hopes that Chloe heard it. _She deserved to hear it._

He looks up at the gates resignedly. Not truly pearly, nor golden, nor, truly gates as humans perceive them; but a shining web of pure energy demarcating the Silver City within from limbo, where he stands. Arriving souls are only ever here for the brief time that it takes to ascertain that they aren’t, in fact, a sociopath in need of redirection to his domain. He reflects to himself that sadly, there is no such screening process for Hell, which is why his Faultless problem exists in the first place. A swell of bitterness rises in his throat like bile. _It’s like the opposite of the justice system the Detective represents- it’s fine if a thousand innocents suffer, so long as no one gets a reward they don’t deserve._

His face remains smooth, not even a twitch of disgust allowed to express itself, but he’s certain his eyes flash red, because Michael lets go of his shoulder.

“I should chain you before we enter the city, Samael-“

“My _name_ is not Samael, and I will not be chained again, Michael.” Lucifer’s voice is burning with restrained fury, and he turns his burning eyes onto the too-familiar face. “I have given my word not to fight, and _you brought me here against my will_. You will not chain me.”

“I thought you would say that, _Samael_.” Michael smirks, and sighs in mock-disappointment. His eyes focus on the distance for a moment, and then smirks at his twin. “Remy will be here in a moment to help me escort you to your cell to await Father’s… attention.”

“What was the bloody great hurry to get me here if I was just going to sit here and wait?” Lucifer spits indignantly. Michael’s eyes shine maliciously, and Lucifer knows the answer – his twin _knows_ how much he hates being confined, and intends to keep him so for as long as possible.

“Calling Remy for backup, hm?” Lucifer returns his brother’s smirk. “Good to know you don’t think you could handle me if I chose to make trouble, brother.”

“Oh, and who is to say Remy is for _my_ protection, Samael?” Michael’s smile is sinister. “They _hate_ you here. I may need the help just to keep you in one piece on our way to your containment cell.”

Lucifer shrugs, nonchalant. “They hate me everywhere, brother. Occupational hazard of being the Prince of Lies, I’m afraid. I’m sure you and dear old Dad had nothing to do with that little bit of propaganda.”

This clearly isn’t the response that his brother expected. The smile slides off his face, replaced by an instant of consternation before his expression is wiped clear, as bland as Lucifer’s own. The brothers are staring at each other in silence when Remy swoops in, landing lightly beside Michael.

“His cell is ready, brother.” Remiel’s black eyes are fixed on Lucifer, her body tense.

“My thanks, sister. Let us escort our brother to his chamber.”

“Escort?” Lucifer snorts in derision. “That promises far more entertainment than I’m willing to accept from you, dear siblings.”

Remiel’s face scrunches in disgust, but Michael suppresses a chuckle. 

“We’ll see how entertained you are when Father’s done with you, Samael.” Michael gestures for Lucifer to walk beside him. “Wings stay in, brother- you’ve promised not to fight, but I don’t trust you not to run. Serpents are quite adept at slithering away, after all.”

Lucifer suppresses a snarl, and falls into step with Michael. With Remy a step behind, he crosses the threshold of the Silver City for the first time since his Fall. It’s… eerie, he decides. It feels familiar, as though he were here only yesterday, and yet it feels so _wrong_. Hell remains much the same, but there are changes to note from time to time. Earth changes so frequently it’s generally far easier to list what stays the same between his visits. In the Silver City, there is no change. The atmosphere, the architecture, the gleaming brightness, the divine aura of the place, all exactly the same as it had been before he was cast out. _Like a living museum_. It feels stale to him, and he suddenly has a sour taste in his mouth. No wonder the human souls typically prefer to remain inside their loops.

Because oh yes, Heaven has loops just as Hell does- only these have far more pleasant fare. No demons to torture, no guilt-ridden scenarios to play out over and over again- only endless numbers of eternities of pleasure and happiness. A few souls are adventurous enough to exist outside their chambers – the Silver City’s inhabitants – but most souls are content to stay within the comfort zones of their loops and be mindlessly content. Lucifer wonders, briefly, if Charlotte and Father Frank are among the city’s human inhabitants.

They walk through the immaculate streets, the population bustling but not anything like the unmanageable crush of LA. Remiel’s wings are out, and the passers-by give them a respectfully wide berth. Angels don’t often mingle with the human souls here in the city, so they’ve soon drawn a bit of a crowd, and Lucifer finds himself mildly amused despite his apprehension at being here. The human souls are more curious than anything, and this passage could not contrast more sharply with his last forced march through the city, chained and dragged with the entire Host spitting vitriol and hatred at him for daring to try to fight for what his Father had denied him.

“Lucifer?! _Lucifer!”_ A voice sounds out behind them. He turns automatically toward the familiar voice, and is immediately enveloped in a warm embrace topped with honey-blond hair. “I knew it was you! I’d recognize that hair and those suits anywhere!”

Remiel’s bladed wing starts to whip forward and immediately Lucifer’s white wings are mantled protectively around his attacker, his eyes flashing red. “Remy, you will not harm her!”

The crowd stirs and backs away at the angelic confrontation before them, and the blonde head pops out the top of the feathery cocoon Lucifer has created. Remiel looks around apprehensively, and folds her wings against her back. Michael looks on in confusion, and Lucifer turns back to the woman in his arms, reserving a healthy fraction of his attention for his siblings.

“Delilah, you have no idea how happy it makes me to see you here, where you belong!” He smiles warmly at his friend, and pulls her into another embrace. After a final appraising glance at his siblings, he folds his wings away.

“I never thought I’d see you again! They told me you couldn’t come here- and you have _wings!_ “

Lucifer chuckles at her verbal onslaught. “They were right, I could not come here. I am unwelcome, and am only here now because my Father demanded an audience and my brother there was sent to collect me.” He shoots a mild glare at Michael, whose expression is back to blankness. “And yes, I do indeed have wings, though not all the time. I’m afraid I cannot stay and chat, but my dear, I am so _very proud of you._ ”

“Lucifer-“ She grips his hand tightly, and kisses it. “- _thank you_. I know what you did for me. I haven’t forgotten. I _won’t_ forget.”

He smiles kindly at her. “My brother did pass along your message for me, but you got here yourself. It was my honor and privilege to be able to offer you the opportunity to do so, but I must go now, my siblings are getting restless. Be well, darling.” She murmurs a goodbye as he brushes his cheek against hers, and moves back between his siblings. Delilah watches him go as the two angels close ranks around him. The wide-eyed crowd splits to allow them passage, then she turns and hares off in another direction.

*************************

Lucifer stands in front of the blank white door and glares at it with distaste. Remiel pushes it open and stands aside as he takes in the contents of the chamber. He looks to Michael on his left, incredulous. “You’re keeping me _here?”_ He scoffs, “You can’t be serious.”

“Father’s orders.” Michael shrugs. “Nothing has been touched, aside from the door, which has been warded. I would recommend not attempting to leave without permission.”

“I would recommend not forcing me to make such an attempt by keeping me here longer than necessary, Michael. You know how well I stay contained.” His voice is light, but the warning is palpable and his twin nods in agreement.

“You are to be allowed visitors while you are here, should anyone actually wish to see you.” Michael’s icy smile tells Lucifer exactly how unlikely he feels that scenario is. “Perhaps you’ll find something in here to occupy your time, Samael. I’m sure you’ll have plenty of it to pass.” He steps backward and the door seals between them, the light glinting dimly from his twin’s flat eyes obscured by the glaring blank whiteness.

“My name is Lucifer, you winged sack of arse.” He mutters to himself, because shouting would be beyond his dignity right now. He turns to peruse the room, and snorts softly. “Really Dad? Putting me back in my old room, like I’m visiting home from college?”

He peruses the room, for lack of anything better to do. There is no dust, of course, this is the Silver City- mundane nuisances like dust don’t exist here. Everything exactly as he left it. His desk still has the glowing calculations for unused star formulas scrawled upon it. He takes the palm of his hand and wipes it clear. No need for those anymore, he’ll never create another galaxy. He picks up the stylus and makes a little sketch on the now-clear desktop instead. He steps back and admires his finished product, then turns away to continue re-familiarizing himself with his cell.

His journal scrolls are here, tightly rolled and neatly stacked in a shelving unit that covers most of a wall. His reading scrolls cover most of another wall. There are no windows. His low sleeping pallet is tucked in the corner under the shelves for the reading scrolls. He sighs in dissatisfaction. ‘Cell’ indeed- it certainly reminds him of a monastery. Not that he’s made a point of visiting many of those. All right, maybe one or two, back in the day. They really _did_ make the best wines. And a few of them knew how to host a very good time indeed, once that wine got flowing…

He drags himself out of contemplation and back to his current situation. He hadn’t forgotten how ascetic his lifestyle had been, but… perhaps he should see if he is still able to make some changes. Angel’s quarters typically responded to the preferences of the assigned occupant- time to find out if _that_ has changed, at least for him. He focuses and tries to change the floor from glaring white to black marble. He can’t manage black, but he _can_ get it to a warm wood finish. That will do for a start. He softens the walls from that same sterile white to a rich ivory, and the shelves to a deep walnut. He takes a deep breath, it already feels better in here. He looks at his sleeping pallet.

“Well, I’m certainly not sleeping on _that_.” He raises the platform to his preferred bed height, widens it, and lies down before tuning the firmness to exact comfort level. Once that is done he breathes a sigh of relief before standing and willing a lovely set of silk sheets into existence over the new mattress. He catches a stray whiff of Hell from his clothing and suddenly feels a burning need for a shower. He could simply Will himself clean, but he enjoys the showering process, and so focuses his concentration on growing a bathroom.

_Has Heaven seen a bathroom before? Surely I’m not the first to enjoy a good scrub._

A door develops in the remaining blank wall, and he opens it to find a good-sized shower stall, garden tub, and sink with mirror. The walls and floor are smooth dove-grey stone with thin filaments of silver veining through them. He smirks to himself. _Yes, this will do quite well. I’ve still got the knack._

He snags a towel from the newly-manifested rack and shucks off his suit, willing it clean and hanging it on a hook on the wall that hadn’t been there a moment ago. He turns on the water and steps under the stream of steaming water, eager to wash off the Hell residue and forget where he is for as long as possible.

_One single positive point for Heaven: the hot water doesn’t run out._

He remains in the shower until he gets bored. _It’s not like I’ve anything else to do, after all._ He exits the shower and dresses again before re-entering his room, toweling his hair dry as he steps through the door.

“Oh, thank _Dad_ , I was really afraid you were gonna come out of there naked, Lu.”

He pulls the towel away to find Azrael sitting on his bed, pulling her fingers away from her face after peeking cautiously through them first.

“Well, sister!” Lucifer’s eyes light up with pleasure at the visitor. “What a pleasant surprise, I thought I’d be stuck here entertaining myself until my hearing with dear old Dad.”

His little sister grins at him, “You know I can’t stay long, Lu-“

“Yes, yes, places to go, souls to collect and all that.” Lucifer chuckles. “Have you been waiting long? I would offer you a drink, but- well.”

Azrael looks around the room, amused. “Yeah, bro, I see you’ve been redecorating a bit already.”

“White and silver was always more Michael’s scheme than mine.”

“I just got here, actually. Dropping off a couple souls at the gates, heard some folks saying you were here and had to see for myself! What is going on??”

“Dad sent Michael after me. A few of my more innocent souls have managed to let go of their guilt and have found themselves deposited here.”

Azrael nods, “That’s what Gabe said! He’s the one that told me you were here. Lu, that’s fantastic! It always bums me out when they wind up down there and it’s pretty clear it’s nothing they’ve done, ya know?”

“Yes, a bummer indeed, sister. So, when I went back to Hell again, I started using some of my newfound experience with humans and… and emotions, and started making some extra tweaks to those loops, to… to snap them out of it, to see things as they really are. I’ve apparently started making some leeway, finally. But now I’m afraid Dad’s going to try to make me stop.”

Azrael had bounced up off his bed with an excited squeal and had thrown her arms around his waist in a truly Ella-reminiscent hug when Lucifer uttered that last sentence, and she pulls back to look at him better. “What do you mean- why would he want to stop you, Lu?”

“I don’t know, Azrael-“ Lucifer pulls away, shaking his head and sits on the edge of his mattress. Azrael plops down next to him, and he continues. “It’s just… something new, and then Raphael came to me and… Azrael, he _apologized_ for avoiding me for so long, for… for shunning me.” His face crumples, and Azrael pats his arm soothingly.

“Raphi always was a good egg. I’m surprised he didn’t-“ her sentence trails off and her eyes go distant.

“I know, Rae-Rae, places to be.” Lucifer gives her a gentle smile and pats the hand still resting on his arm. “Go on, sister. I do hope you’ll come visit when you can… wherever I may be.”

“I’m sure you’ll be back in LA soon, Lu. But yeah, I’ll be by to see you. I’ve got to keep an eye on Lopez, anyway.” She grins at him. “Should I tell her where you are?”

“With any luck at all, I’ll be home before she knows I’m gone.” Lucifer grins back. “But… perhaps it wouldn’t be a bad idea. I really don’t need yet another kick to the shins- she’s quite talented with those boots of hers!”

Azrael giggles as she spreads her smoky wings. “Alright, bro, it’s a deal. I’ll let her know on my next break, and _you_ owe me a favor.” She glances over at his desk and pauses in lifting her wings. “Dude. Is that a penis? You’ve been back 10 minutes and you’re already drawing erotic graffiti in your room? So you, Lu. _So you.”_

Lucifer cackles a laugh as Azrael spreads her wings and disappears back to ferrying dead souls to their ultimate destinations, but he quiets once she is gone. He straightens his cuffs and looks around the room, wondering if there is room for a piano. He moves to stand, but a sudden wave of exhaustion washes over him and he settles back down. The past several months performing manipulations on the loops, followed by the stress of confrontation with Michael and returning to the Silver City, _then_ manifesting his Will to redecorate his chambers have left him mentally exhausted. He stifles a yawn and slides his fingers through his still-damp hair. He pulls off his jacket and unbuttons his shirt, sliding it off as well. He stands and strides back to the bathroom to hang his clothing on the hook, lacking the energy to manifest a wardrobe at the moment. He folds his trousers and hands them on the hangar as well, heading back to his bed in only his boxer briefs. He sits on the mattress again, toying with the space on his finger where Lilith’s ring normally sits.

 _At least Chloe will have something of me, if I can’t return to her_.

He stretches out on the bed, pulling the sheets up to his waist and folding his arms behind his head. The bed feels cold and empty without Chloe beside him, and he wonders how long he's been gone. He wonders, too, if Raphael went to Amenadiel as he asked him to. Chloe shouldn't be alone after seeing him dragged away by his brother. 

He sighs and closes his eyes, willing the sourceless light to dim as he settles in to sleep. 

******************

It's difficult to say how much time passes. He has no more visitors to break the monotony of his confinement, so Lucifer spends his time revisiting his old journals and scrolls, and when the memories become too much he plays the piano that he manifested from the desk. He paces his quarters until the walls appear to close in on him, then he retreats to his shower to lose himself in the white noise of the falling water.

Mostly, though, he thinks about his Detective. He knows time is passing far more quickly for him than for Chloe on Earth. He misses her fiercely, and can't decide if the ache is better, or worse than his last departure after the nightmare at the Mayan. He misses her presence beside him, her flashing blue eyes, her goofy sense of humor, her tender affectionate touches. He's positive he'll be able to strike a deal with his Father to see the Detective again before whatever sentence He decrees is passed. He wonders what it will cost him, and knows that he will gladly pay whatever price his Father demands of him to keep his promise.

So he waits, as patiently as he can, for his Father to send for him. He tries not to think of a similar time period eons ago as he lay burning in his crater in Hell, hoping for this situation, for his Father to call him back to the Silver City. It comes back vividly in dreams, as though repressing the memories while awake make them more determined to be recalled fully. 

When he sleeps, the burning is waiting. He relives each agonizing handhold as he drags his charred carcass across the bottom of the smoldering crater he'd created when he landed. Every lick of flame across cauterized skin and scorched bones is indelibly imprinted in his memory, and they all clamor to be recognized again as he dreams.

After the dreams of burning come the dreams of the healing. It had taken centuries to crawl from the flaming crater, and it had continued to burn even after he managed to drag himself from it's depths. When he had heaved his seared body over the rim if the crater he had collapsed, gasping shallow breaths with brittle crackling lungs for an indeterminate time. In the dreams, the flesh left on his battered and broken bones starts to ooze as his body begins to repair itself and he screams as nerves obliterated in the white-hot flames are re-forged and start sending pain signals back to his overwrought brain again. He screams, hoarse rasping exhalations at first, escalating to full-scale shrieks of suffering as his lungs heal to the point of becoming fully functioning.

He tries to avoid sleeping as much as possible, and bags begin to develop beneath his haunted eyes. He also starts avoiding looking in his bathroom mirror. 

One day, he looks up from his piano and finds a familiar face standing in his open doorway. 

"Charlotte!" He cries, delighted. "Welcome to my humble cell, please do come in." He stands to greet her, holding out his hands in greeting and she takes them, squeezing them affectionately.

He offers her the padded piano bench, as he settles on the edge of the bed. 

"I suppose I should start by thanking you for saving Amenadiel's life. And congratulating you for gaining entry to the Silver City!" He grins at her, pride beaming from him. "How have you settled in, darling?"

Charlotte smiles warmly at her friend, the irrepressible devil. "It was a little rocky at first, but fortunately Amenadiel stayed for awhile to help smooth the path for me."

"Did they give you trouble, Charlotte?" Lucifer narrows his eyes, and Charlotte rushes to reassure him.

"Not at all, I just think I threw everyone here for a bit of a... Well, a loop." Her smile turns wry, and she makes a small circular gesture with her hand.

"I see what you did there, well said." Lucifer chuckles warmly, corners of his eyes crinkling in amusement.

"They just weren't sure what to do with me, I think." Charlotte shakes her head slowly. "I get the feeling they don't deal with new things very often?"

"Try never," Lucifer scoffs. "However did you find out I was here? I can't imagine folks up here are too willing to discuss yours truly."

"Delilah told me. It did take me awhile to find someone who knew where you were being kept so I could come visit, though."

"You've met Delilah!" He crows, jubilant. "How delightful! How did you manage that?"

"Amenadiel apparently referred her to me as a particular friend of yours up here. And Frank, of course, but he spends a lot of his time in his daughter's loop."

Charlotte’s smile is genuine, and she leans forward. “We’ve become quite close, she’s a very sweet girl.”

“Yes,” Lucifer hums in agreement. “I’m so very proud of _both_ of you. Heaven is exactly the reward you both deserve.” He lowers his eyes, playing again with the space his ring used to occupy. “You don’t happen to know how long I’ve been here, do you?”

She can hear the forced detachedness in his voice, that he’s trying very hard to pretend that the answer doesn’t really matter to him. “Delilah came to me just after she saw you in the street, and it took me about three months to track down your location. Then it took me about another month to get permission through to visit.”

“Ah, my evil twin, at it again.” Lucifer remarks dryly.

“Yes! That certainly threw _me_ for a loop when I arrived here and got ushered into an interview with… well, _not_ you.” Her eyes widen to convey the surprise she experienced. “What happened to his-“

“It’s a long story- but essentially, I did it as he was flinging me into Hell.” Lucifer’s dark eyes hold on her steady gaze. “I tried to grab onto him to keep from falling, and my chains tangled in his wing, then snapped his shoulder.”

Charlotte’s eyes are sympathetic, and she nods. She drops her gaze to her own fingers, twiddling them together for a moment before asking, “How is Dan?”

“He took your loss very hard, Charlotte.” Lucifer’s voice is soft. “I think he’s in a much better place mentally now. He, er, found out the truth about me just about a week ago, Earth time, and he’s been asking loads of questions to Amenadiel and Chloe. He seems to be handling it well, overall.”

“Wait, Chloe knows?” Charlotte leans forward again, interested. “All right, I need this story. Spill it, Satan.”

And, well, they have nothing but time, and Charlotte deserves to know the story of what happened to her murderer. So, Lucifer fills her in on the year she’s missed since her arrival in the Silver City. When he gets to the point about Chloe’s flight to Rome and subsequent alliance with the priest to send Lucifer back to Hell, Charlotte stops him outright.

“Chloe tried to kill you?” She says, incredulous. _“Chloe_ tried to _kill you??”_

“Well, to send me back to Hell, yes.” Lucifer admits, looking down at his hands again.

“Lucifer…”

“It’s all right, Charlotte. She changed her mind in the end.”

“Okay, tell me the rest, then.” She encourages.

So he does, finishing with his work on the Hell loops and Michael coming to collect him for this enforced interview. Charlotte sits, not speaking, for several minutes after the story is complete.

“You’ve had quite the year since I’ve been gone, Lucifer.” He moves to open his mouth and she raises her hand, “More time than that for you, I know. Even more time than it’s been for me, if I recall correctly, you told me that time in Hell moves even faster than time here in Heaven?”

He nods, confirming, and she continues. “How are you handling all this? Are you… all right?”

“I’m as well as may be, Charlotte, once I make it through this blasted interview with my Father. I don’t have high hopes for my freedom afterward, but… I’ve managed to help some innocent souls. I got to see my friends again, and they really know who I am now, and- Charlotte, they _accept_ me. Even Daniel. And.. and I got a few precious days to spend with Chloe.”

“You- you’re _with_ Chloe?”

“Yes, only just since I returned from Hell.” His smile is hesitant, almost shy. “It’s really been a wonderful week, healing and trips to Hell aside.”

“Lucifer-“ she trails off, shaking her head.

“Charlotte?”

“You have the _biggest_ heart, do you know that?” Charlotte reaches out and grabs his hand. “Chloe literally tried to send you back to Hell, and you not only forgive her before she asks you to, you still love her.”

“I can’t blame her for what she did, Charlotte.” Lucifer sighs sadly. “I am the Devil, it’s honestly less than I expect of anyone that truly finally believes me. And she carries so much guilt for it now, Charlotte, that I fear for where she’ll end up when she does eventually…”

“Ohh..” Charlotte understands the implication of soul-deep guilt like that, and feels a pang of sympathy for Chloe that hadn’t existed before.

“She was planning to start seeing Linda this week, before… well, before I was taken. I do hope she’ll follow up on that plan if I- if I can’t make it back to her.” Lucifer’s voice is twisting with worry, sounding choked as his throat tightens around the words and she squeezes his hand again, supportive.

“Lucifer, I have complete faith in your ability to talk anyone into anything. If there’s a way to make it back to Chloe, you _will_ find it.”

He opens his mouth to respond when a knock sounds on the door, and they both jump.

Charlotte smiles sadly. “I think that means my visiting hours are over. I’ll come back as soon as they’ll let me, okay?”

“Don’t waste your eternity on me, darling, I’m certainly not worth it.” Lucifer smiles at her. “I am simply happy to have seen you again, I was sure I’d never be able to tell you how much you meant to me, and how much I miss you.”

“It’s _my_ eternity to waste, and it’s largely thanks to you that I’m here and not trapped in a hell loop. And, well, we didn’t really get to address how much you missed me during this visit, did we? So I’ll _definitely_ need to come back so you can tell me _all about it_.” She teases him, and he smiles at his friend. He squeezes her hand and releases her as she moves to the door. He stays where he is, showing his intentions of good behavior. “I’ll see you soon, Lucifer. Take care of yourself!”

“And you, darling.” He responds, and she is gone, leaving him alone in the room again with only the freshly recalled memories he’d rather not revisit for company.


	23. Chapter 23

Chloe leaves the brothers in the sitting room to get dressed, and Amenadiel takes the opportunity to grill Raphael further.

“Brother, are you certain Luci’s ring will allow her to pass unharmed? I’ve never heard of anything like it, and if anything happens to her-“

“Amenadiel, I am completely confident in my assessment of the ring’s capabilities. I couldn’t see it while Lucifer was wearing it, his soul is so bright it masked the subtlety of the ring. But the ring, and its contents were gifted to Lucifer, and Chloe’s soul is bonded to his. _It will allow her to pass safely_ , I promise.”

Amenadiel settles, reluctantly convinced. His wings ruffle restlessly, knowing that weeks, if not months have already passed for Lucifer. “Raphael, do you think Michael will hurt him?” he asks quietly, not wanting her to overhear and worry.

“I don’t… I don’t _think_ he would, brother.” Raphael answers honestly. “If Father commanded him to be brought before Him, He would expect him to be relatively sound when retrieved.”

“What’s the plan when we arrive? Do you think it’s wise to parade the fact that we’ve brought a still-living human to the Silver City?” Amenadiel presses.

“We’ll need to find out where they’re keeping him until his hearing…” Raphael ponders for a moment. “Gabriel can probably help us with that. But you’re right, we should try to avoid drawing attention to Miss Decker as much as possible. Gabriel will be busy when we arrive, training Serimael to take over the welcoming duties so we will likely need to wait for him to be free to speak with us.”

Amenadiel nods. “Chloe and I have a human friend there that we can visit while we’re waiting, that will keep Chloe out of the public eye.” He glances back through the doorway to the bedroom, fighting the urge to rustle his wings again.

***********************

Chloe dresses quickly, then picks up her phone and shoots a quick text to Dan and Ella.

**_Just FYI- Need to make a quick trip for Lucifer. Won’t have my phone on me, but I’ll let you know as soon as I’m back._**

She sees the three little dots telling her that Ella is typing, and hurriedly shuts her phone off, setting it on the nightstand. Whirling around, she checks to see if there’s anything she may need. Car keys and a sidearm won’t do a damn bit of good in _Heaven_ , for crying out loud.

 _Why am I doing this? This is so far out of my league I might as well be drowning._ But she thinks of Lucifer’s face as Michael dragged her away. The emptiness behind his eyes. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to keep his promise to return. _He wasn’t sure this wouldn’t wind up with him right back in Hell._

She takes a steadying breath and strokes her fingers across the ebony stone on the ring. It feels warm to the touch, as though it had been left in the sun all day and was now radiating the heat back to her. She closes her eyes and gathers her courage, pulling her emotional armor in place before she goes out to face the two angels waiting for her. She enters the sitting room and two heads swivel in her direction.

“Okay, I’m ready to go.”

Amenadiel holds out a hand to her, and she takes it. He draws her into his arms, she feels a flash of heat from the ring, and she’s blinking in the sudden overwhelming brightness. Her stomach feels a bit queasy from the sudden relocation, but she keeps her feet easily enough.

She looks around, goggling up at the gleaming structures surrounding her. She squints, and she can’t tell if the brightness emanates from the edifices, or if they just reflect and magnify the ambient sourceless light. _Maybe I should have considered sunglasses_. She turns back to her company and sees them exchange a glance. Raphael leaps into the air and she watches him soar off to another part of the city before raising an eyebrow at Amenadiel, who quirks a smile at her.

“He’s off to find Gabriel to help us find out where Lucifer is being held. It might be awhile, Gabriel’s currently in charge of the orientation speeches, and is training one of our siblings to take over for him.” His gaze follows Raphael’s flight path as he furls his own wings.

“So what do we do while we wait, then? Start asking people if they’ve seen him?”

“Actually, we need to keep you out of sight.” Amenadiel’s expression is apologetic. “Stirring up trouble here is a bad idea, Chloe, and it certainly won’t benefit Lucifer’s case if the souls here find out a living person was able to visit –“

“Oh!” Chloe’s eyes widen in realization. “I didn’t even think of that, people probably wouldn’t react very well to me being able to supposedly come and go while no one else can…”

“Exactly so.” Amenadiel rests a hand on her shoulder, clasping it reassuringly. “So, I suggested we go find Charlotte and say hello. I know where her quarters are, and she doesn’t spend much time in her loop at present.”

“Charlotte’s here?” Chloe’s eyes light up. “I bet _she_ knows where we can find Lucifer! Let’s go, Amenadiel, what are we waiting for?” She grabs his hand, tugging as though she could drag him, then chuckles to herself as she realizes she has no idea which direction to go in.

He grins down at her, and gestures in the direction they should go. She follows a step behind him, feeling like Trixie as she bounces along, taking in the awe-inspiring scenery.

The streets are pristine, and strangely empty for a city this size. “Amenadiel-“ Chloe keeps her voice quiet- the odd stillness of the city has started to weigh on her. “Why is it so empty here? Is it… is it really so difficult for souls to be admitted?”

“No, Chloe, there are quite a lot of souls here, really. Many souls choose to remain inside their loops, which cuts down on the city congestion.”

“There are loops _here_??” Chloe breathes, appalled. She backs away from the angel beside her. “How is that- what does—Amenadiel, _why?_ ”

“Not punishment loops, Chloe, not Hell loops.” Amenadiel holds up his hands, making a calming gesture. “The loops here are all pleasant memories, and people can share a loop with their loves ones as they choose. Or they can come live in the City, like Charlotte.”

“Lucifer says the souls in Hell _could_ leave their loops, but they can’t because their guilt holds them there.”

“That is true, in Hell the soul’s guilt is a nearly inescapable trap. Here, though, the loops are rewards for a life lived without guilt, the happy memories serve as a sanctuary rather than a torture chamber.”

Chloe has a bitter, metallic taste in her mouth, and scrambles for a change of subject. “Do you know how long it’s been since Lucifer was brought here? For him, I mean?”

“I’m hoping Charlotte will be able to give us an idea. My best guess right now is anywhere from a few weeks to a few months.” He looks up at the building they’re approaching. “Her quarters are in this building, hopefully we’ll catch her at home.”

“What do people do here if they’re not in their loops?” The question bubbles from her without her really meaning to ask it.

“Whatever they choose, really.” Amenadiel shrugs, having never really blended with the human population of the Silver City before. “I haven’t been back to see her since I helped her get settled here, so I’m not sure what she does with her time.”

They approach a door, Amenadiel raps his knuckles lightly on it and a moment later a familiar face appears in the opening. She sees Amenadiel first and an enormous smile breaks across her face, leaning forward to embrace the angel in her doorway.

“Amenadiel! I was just-“ Charlotte catches sight of Chloe and her glowing smile falls, her face paling and her fingers tightening on his shoulders. “Chloe! You’re – you’re _here?_ Oh my- he’s going to be devastated! What happened??”

“Oh, Charlotte, no!” Chloe laughs nervously, “I’m fine! We’re just-“

“Um, Charlotte, can we come in?” Amenadiel interrupts anxiously, glancing over his shoulder.

“Oh, of course,” her voice shakes as she backs away from the doorway, allowing them inside before closing it gently behind them. “Chloe- you’re really alive?”

“Yeah, I really am, just, er, visiting, I guess.” She fidgets with the ring on her finger. “We’re trying to find out where Lucifer is, we need to find him and get him home.”

“And where is _home_ , exactly, Detective Decker?” Charlotte narrows her eyes at Chloe, who tilts her head, puzzled. Charlotte suddenly sounds less like her friend, and more like District Attorney Charlotte Richards.

“ _Home_ , Charlotte. Los Angeles. Where else would home be?” Chloe’s baffled by the antagonism in her friend’s tone, and feels a rush of relief when her face softens into a real smile.

“I’m glad to hear that. I think he’s starting to go stir crazy here.”

“You’ve seen him?? Charlotte- is he okay? Where is he?” The words tumble over each other in Chloe’s hurry to get answers, to make her way to Lucifer’s side.

“Yes, I’ve been to see him a few times now, he won’t let me see him every day but I go as often as he’ll let me in.”

“He won’t let you in? He’s rejecting visitors?” Amenadiel interjects.

“Oh, not _Lucifer_ , the other one. Michael. He plays gatekeeper, but Frank, Delilah, and I have been trying to make sure he gets a visitor at least a couple times a week. I think he’s lonely.”

“How long has he been here, Charlotte? Do you know?” Chloe’s terrified it’s been another century for him, or more.

“I think he was here about four months before I was able to find him and get in to see him. I’ve seen him at least once week since then, and I’ve been to see him four times.

 _So… probably less than 6 months_. As time periods go, that’s not horrible, he’d spent that long in Hell when he went back earlier this week.

“How do we get in to see him, Charlotte?” Chloe fights to keep the pleading note out of her voice, and almost succeeds. “Can you take us to him?”

“Like I said, Michael is the gatekeeper for Lucifer’s cell. You’ll need to put in your request with him for access.”

“I know where his office is, I can do that now.”

 _“We_ can do that now.” Chloe corrects stubbornly.

“Chloe, I’m not sure it’s a good idea to let Michael know you’re here. If I go make the request alone, we might be able to get you in to visit him without anyone finding out.”

Chloe sighs in frustration, wondering again why she insisted on coming, when she’s clearly not going to be able to _do anything useful._

“All right. You’re right.” She grudgingly agrees, and Amenadiel gives her a relieved smile. “I’m sorry, Amenadiel, I know I’m a little… unreasonable right now. I just- we _have_ to get him back.”

“That’s why we came, Chloe.” He pats her shoulder comfortingly, but it doesn’t escape her notice that he does _not_ promise they will get Lucifer back. She looks into the angel’s dark eyes, and decides again to trust him.

 _He and I aren’t so different. We’ve both made mistakes, especially with Lucifer, but we’ve worked past them now. Time to move forward._ Linda had told her during one of their talks after Lucifer had left for Hell that Amenadiel had asked Lucifer to be Charlie’s godfather. He would not have made that gesture if he wanted Lucifer anywhere but on Earth, and she feels herself relax a tiny bit as that realization sets in. _Amenadiel_ is _on Lucifer’s side in this. On our side._

He gives her shoulder one more pat, then turns to Charlotte with a silent query.

“Of course she can stay here, Amenadiel. This is the best place to keep her out of sight, and we can catch up.” She gives Chloe a smile that reaches her eyes, but doesn’t quite warm them entirely, and the detective again wonders what her friend has to say to her.

Amenadiel makes his exit with a promise to return as soon as he can, and the two women make themselves comfortable. Charlotte’s quarters are elegant, if a bit austere for Chloe’s tastes. Not the blinding silvery brightness of the city outside, but more white and silver than Chloe prefers.

“You seem like you’re adjusting well, Charlotte. We were… we were all devastated when we lost you.” _Jeez, what do you say to someone who’s died? ‘Sorry you’re dead’? ‘I’m sure your funeral was touching, but I skipped it when I fled to Rome’?_ She settles for, “Dan, especially.”

Charlotte toys with her wrist, and Chloe’s heart aches when she notices a silver bracelet there, with a tiny waffle-shaped charm.

“How is Dan?” Charlotte asks quietly.

“He’s… better, now.” Chloe answers honestly. She had been truly worried about Dan for a long time, but… “He’s been seeing Linda, and she’s helping him work through things. He had some trouble adjusting to losing you, and then everything afterward-“

“Yes. Lucifer updated me on what I missed.” Charlotte’s gaze bores into Chloe. _“Everything.”_

“Oh.” Chloe drops her gaze, guilt and regret washing over her again. “I… I can’t really blame you if you’re angry with me. I- didn’t react well to… to realizing the truth.”

“It doesn’t sound like it, and _that_ is with me reading through Lucifer’s very plain attempts to defend every bad decision it sounds like you made.”

“Yeah,” Chloe flushes, then continues quietly, “I don’t deserve him.”

Charlotte watches her for a moment, evaluating. Her posture softens, and she places a hand on Chloe’s arm. “I think you do.”

“You- what?”

“He loves you, Chloe. Beyond reason, beyond doubt, just… beyond. And seeing you _here_ , literally breaking into Heaven- the first living human to do so!- to try to get him back? That tells me that you feel deeply enough for him to risk everything you know. It’s pretty clear you two are a well-matched set.” Her smile turns a little sad. “Don’t waste what time you get with him with doubts, Chloe, and for the love of everything _don’t hold onto the guilt_.”

“That’s what Lucifer keeps telling me.” Chloe sighs. “I can’t just… turn it off. I can’t forget it happened, and I don’t _want_ to forget how easily I nearly…” she swallows convulsively.

“Talk to Linda, or someone, if you’re not comfortable.” Charlotte’s eyes are steady, sympathetic. “Linda managed to help me a lot, and I’m sure I was a nightmare of a client. Thank goodness she’d been dealing with Lucifer long before she met me, I’m _sure_ any other therapist would have had me committed with my stories about Hell and coming back from the dead.”

“Do you remember Hell?” Chloe asks quietly. “Or-“

“Oh, Hell isn’t something you forget.” Her voice is distant, blank. “You don’t want to wind up there, Chloe, not for anything. So believe me when I say, make it a priority to talk to Linda and work on that guilt issue. You have a dangerous job. And… it would completely destroy Lucifer if you wound up in a cell there.”

“I know. He’s told me so himself.” Her eyes remain downcast. “I promise, Charlotte, I’ll work on it. From what I’ve seen here, though… I’m not sure this is exactly the paradise the preachers all rave about.”

“Oh, you haven’t seen the loops.” Charlotte laughs. “Nothing but bright, happy memories there, and that’s where most folks are content to spend their time. I visit mine occasionally, but out here is where the real stuff happens. If I were holed up in my loop all the time, I would never have known Lucifer was here, or met Frank or Delilah.”

“What do you do with your time, Charlotte?” Chloe can’t help but ask, “How are you not bored out of your mind? You weren’t exactly one to sit idle back on Earth…”

“This place isn’t so bad- and I’m not only saying that because it’s _not Hell_.” Charlotte giggles, and Chloe returns her smile. “There are so many interesting people here, literally from all throughout history. There are so many things to learn, and see, and do, I guess it’s a good thing that there’s not really a time limit to it. And I look forward to the time my family and friends can join me here.”

Chloe sits back, happy to see her friend content in her new situation. She doesn’t tell Charlotte about Dan’s concerns that he won’t be able to let go of enough of his own guilt. It won’t do any good, and she hopes Dan is wrong about that.

It’s an odd dichotomy, Chloe’s line of thinking. She doesn’t want to go to Hell, of course. She’s not a masochist, and has zero desire to be tortured for eternity. Yet, seeing Heaven, she can’t imagine herself being content with reliving old happy memories over and over again. She wants her loved ones to wind up here, but she dreads it herself. She tries to picture herself here, with a Trixie that’s lived a full and happy life, and Dan, her mother and father, and-

“Oh.” A little gasp escapes her as she suddenly realizes, _really_ understands something.

_Lucifer stands off to the side as Charlotte’s body is wheeled away, bagged on a gurney._

_“I’ll never get to see her again.” His voice is soft, sad._

_“I know. I still can’t believe it,” Chloe stands next to him, trying to offer comfort. This was his -stepmother, after all._

_“Well. At least you’ll get to see her again, Detective. Eventually. In Heaven. But I, well. She’s gone somewhere I simply can’t follow.” And she can’t make sense of the deep longing in his eyes._

But now she can. Lucifer can’t join her here in Heaven, and he can’t bear the thought of her in Hell. When Chloe dies, what happens to _him_ , left behind for all eternity?

Her breath stutters and Charlotte leans in, concerned.

“Chloe?” Charlotte’s hand is on her shoulder, shaking her gently. “Hey. You’re okay. What’s wrong?”

Chloe’s fingers trace the warmth of the ring on her finger, and the heat slowly soothes her, allowing the tension in her chest muscles to relax enough to draw in one reluctant breath, followed by several more.

“I’m. I’m okay,” she stammers, concentrating on evening out her breathing, on getting past her revelation.

“What brought that on? Because… you definitely don’t look okay.” Charlotte gives her a wry smile.

“I still have… moments, where I see something from before in a new light.” Chloe struggles to explain. “Things Lucifer said, or did – before I believed him about who he is. And… Charlotte, I still can’t figure out _why_ I wouldn’t believe him before.”

“Honest to a fault, that’s our Devil.” She grins at Chloe, who return the smile, abashed. “I didn’t believe him either. I was convinced I was insane until Amenadiel made him show me his wings. But- you didn’t answer my question.”

“I just realized something. Lucifer wants me to let go of my guilt so that when I die, I’ll wind up here rather than Hell.”

“Of course he wants you here, Chloe. He’d never stand for you in Hell.” Charlotte’s trying to be reassuring, but Chloe’s breath hitches.

“Charlotte, he _can’t come here_.” Chloe hisses. “He’s not allowed in Heaven.”

“Riiiight…. Oh.” Charlotte’s face clears as she realizes that Chloe only just put two and two together and got four. “Yes. It is a predicament, but Chloe, you can’t-“

“I can’t think about this right now.” She suddenly shakes her head, as though to clear it from her distressing thoughts. “Can you… can you tell me how he’s doing?”

“Overall, I really think he’s okay, Chloe.” Charlotte reassures. “At least, as okay as he can be. I don’t think he does well with confinement in general.”

Chloe releases a watery snort, imagining her ebullient partner in a situation where his movements are curtailed, his free will sidelined. She can’t imagine him tolerating it well at all.

“His chamber is the only one I’ve seen here with a full-size shower, a grand piano, an extensive library of scrolls, and erotic hieroglyphic graffiti on the walls.” Charlotte giggles, and Chloe goggles at her for a moment before joining in.

“You’re not even joking, are you?”

“Nope. I noticed it my second visit, and made the mistake of asking him what it meant. That man is _not_ meant to live a monk’s existence.” They’re both beyond giggling at this point, Chloe doubled over holding her stomach and Charlotte’s hand is clamped over her mouth, stifling her laughter.

 _Only_ Lucifer _would deface walls in heaven with horny hieroglyphs._

****************************

Amenadiel and Chloe arrive at the door to Lucifer’s chamber and are surprised to hear not only lively music emanating from behind the door, but also cheerful laughter. He raps on the door and both taper off, low voices rumbling in conversation.

The chamber door opens and a black gentleman wearing a black suit with a clerical collar stands in the opening, laughter still echoing in his eyes.

“Hello, I’m looking for my-“

“Brother!” Lucifer’s grinning face peeks around Father Frank’s shoulder, “I’d wondered if you would – _no!”_ The blood drains from his face and he staggers back, away from the door as Chloe eagerly moves into his line of sight. “ _Detective, no. What are you doing here?”_ The words are barely more than a breath as he sinks onto the piano bench shakily, fingers digging into his unruly hair. _“What happened?”_

Chloe is confused for less than a second before she realizes what’s happened, what _he thinks happened_. She’s inside the chamber and perched next to him on the piano bench in a blink, her hands on either side of his face, murmuring to him.

“No, Lucifer, no, _I’m fine!”_ She’s pressing little kisses to his face, his eyes. She can feel him trembling against her. “I’m alive. Lucifer, I’m not dead.”

His eyes flicker up to her face, and she sees the fear in those unfathomable depths. She takes his hand and squeezes it, brings it up to her chest and places it squarely on her chest, letting him feel the rapid beat of her heart. His breath catches in a sob and he quickly brings his other hand up to her throat, closing his eyes as he rests his fingerpads against her pulse point, focusing on that undeniable rhythm of life under his fingers. His thumb caresses the curve of her chin and an unsteady sigh escapes his lips.

“Lucifer?” Her voice is soft. He’s drawn her closer, their foreheads pressed together.

“Detective.” His lips barely move, but he leans into her touch as she places a hand on the side of face. His eyes snap open suddenly, his pupils blown wide in relief. She doesn’t see him move, but his lips are suddenly on hers and she’s holding him to her, pressing close as they murmur unintelligible affirmations to one another until the harsh sound of a throat clearing uncomfortably breaks them apart.

Lucifer unabashedly buries his face in her shoulder, his arms wrapped tightly around her. She presses her lips to his temple, and looks over his shoulder at the two mean standing in the room with them. Amenadiel has a fond smile that he’s trying to cover with his fist, while Father Frank’s eyes are warm with concern.

“Hello Father Lawrence,” Chloe whispers over Lucifer’s shoulder, and the older man smiles at the pair before him.

“Hello Detective Decker. It’s lovely to see you again, especially since it seems you’re _not_ here the usual way.”

Lucifer makes a miserable little noise against her shoulder, his arms tightening around her, and she threads her fingers into his hair, reassuring. “No, definitely not the usual way. I hear you’ve become good friends with Charlotte.”

The priest’s smile widens and he chuckles. “There’s a lady to reckon with! She reminds me a lot of you, Detective Decker, and it’s an honor to call her friend.”

“Please, Father, call me Chloe. I’m certainly not on duty right now.” She can feel Lucifer’s trembling slowly abating, and knows that her touch and the normality of the conversation is helping to ground him.

“Then please call me Frank, Chloe. It really has been lovely seeing you again. Lucifer, I’m afraid I do need to go.”

Lucifer manages to pull away from Chloe’s embrace, but his hands refuse to release hers. “Not to worry, Padre, we’ve certainly had our fun. Perhaps I’ll see you again before I find out what my Father has planned for me?”

“Of course- we still need to finish our duet. And Lucifer, I can’t thank you enough for-“

“Yes, Padre, of course. The least I could do, you know.” Lucifer turns and smiles weakly at his friend. “I’ll see you again soon, then.”

Lucifer stands to see Frank to the door, still not relinquishing Chloe’s hand. Once the door closes behind the priest, Lucifer turns to his brother, livid.

“What on _Earth_ were you thinking, bringing the Detective here?” He hisses. _“Here??”_ A strangled laugh squeaks its way from his throat, and he looks as though he wants to pace, but doesn’t want to let go of Chloe to do so. “How did you even manage it? Did Raphael do something?”

Amenadiel glances at Lucifer, sympathetic. “Luci, I’m pretty sure you’re familiar with the experience of trying to tell Chloe that she can’t do something?” He chuckles at Chloe’s exasperated face. “I seem to recall that that has never been a successful endeavor for you- what on _Earth_ makes you think I’d succeed where you never have?”

Chloe sees the corner of Lucifer’s mouth twitch in a repressed smile as he takes in her expression, and he squeezes her hand in his. “I suppose you’re right, brother, I shouldn’t be angry with you for being unable to do the impossible. But… how?

“Raphael said it’s something about your ring,” Chloe pipes up, fingers stroking over the stone of the ring. She moves to pull it off and is immediately stopped by both brothers panicked responses.

“No, Chloe- if Raphael says the ring lets you be here safely, you’ll definitely need to keep it on at _least_ until you make it back to Earth,” Amenadiel explains earnestly.

“Speaking of which- not that I’m displeased to see you, darling, but you should definitely be heading back sooner rather than later, the Urchin and Daniel will be missing you terribly-“ Lucifer’s light tone belies the unconsciously tight grip his hand still maintains on hers.

_He wants me to be safe, but he also doesn’t want to send me away._

“I’m not leaving, Lucifer.” Chloe’s ‘no arguments’ tone makes another appearance here. “I have the next couple of days off work, and according to you guys, that should be several years’ worth of time here. Even someone as busy as your Father should be able to squeeze in your hearing in that time frame.”

“Detective- you can’t stay here that long. No living mortal has ever had access to the Silver City, let alone for that extended period of time. We have no way of knowing how that much time here would affect you. It may age you well beyond normal speed, or halt your aging entirely. Or even how Father will react once he has time to realize you’re here…”

“Lucifer,” She stands before him, fingers interlocked with his and her clear blue gaze fastened steadfastly on his. “I am not leaving here without you.”


	24. Chapter 24

“I’ll, um, I’ll just give you two a few minutes alone, shall I?” Amenadiel slips out the door, leaving them staring after him.

“Bloody coward.” Lucifer grumbles under his breath, turning back to Chloe. “Detective, it’s not that I don’t want you with me.” She can hear desperation creeping into his voice now. “I just… I need to know you’re safe, and you are certainly not safe _here_ , so close to my Father, to Michael.”

“You’re not exactly safe here, either, Lucifer. How comfortable do you think _I_ am with that?” She pulls back, crossing her arms over her chest as she raises a skeptical eyebrow.

“The primary difference here, darling, is that I’m still mostly immortal, where you certainly are not. There’s too much we don’t know about how time here could affect you! Will you need to eat? Where were you planning to stay while you’re here? I can’t just book you a suite here, Detective!” Lucifer begins to pace the small room once Chloe lets go of him, his fingers running through his hair and fluffing his already unmanaged curls even further. She lets him rant for a little while, knowing that trying to interrupt him before he reaches a stopping point would be like politely asking a runaway freight train to stop. He goes on in this vein for some time before he finally takes a deep breath and turns to face her, eyes wild. “I _never_ thought my brothers would be so monumentally reckless as to try to bring you here. I never would have-“

“Lucifer.” She infuses his name with all of the love and concern she feels for him, and his words stutter to an unsteady halt. “I _insisted_ they bring me. I want to be here for you, even if there is absolutely nothing I can do to help you _but be here_. And when Raphael said the ring would allow me to come, I knew I had to. Look, it even fits my finger-“

She holds out her hand, and Lucifer looks at the ring for the first time since she pulled it from his own hand. His long fingers trace along hers, over the band and stone, and it does fit her as though it were made for her. It no longer feels warm to him, and that’s another oddity. Ever since Lilith gave it to him, it’s always been a source of warmth.

“That’s strange. It’s… cool.” He muses, and Chloe flips her hand to thread her fingers through his again.

“It feels warm to me. I mean, not as warm as _you_ are, but it’s definitely warmer than my body temperature.” She murmurs, and his eyes lift from the darkly gleaming stone to her face.

“Hm.” He shakes his head minutely, bringing himself back to the current situation. “But I digress, Detective. It simply isn’t safe for you to be here.”

“Are you kicking me out, Lucifer?” She lifts her eyebrow again in challenge, her chin jutting stubbornly, though she doesn’t try to pull her hand away from his.

“Were you really intending to share my prison with me, Chloe? Have you really looked at this chamber, the size of it? There aren’t even any windows here, darling, nothing but these four walls, the bathroom beyond that door, and yours truly. You can’t possibly mean to stay here until my… my _Father_ decides to make time to drag me before him.”

She takes a moment to properly frame her answer, letting him know with a raised finger that she needs a moment to gather her thoughts. He nods, sitting back on the piano bench and she perches herself on his lap, resting her head on his shoulder.

“Maybe,” Chloe finally says quietly, “Maybe this is exactly what we need.”

“Solitary confinement with a side of unknown celestial side effects?” Lucifer replies dryly.

“Lucifer,” Chloe laughs into his neck, and his arm tightens around her waist. “I meant, this could be a good time to just- _be_ together. No distractions. Maybe we can, I don’t know, talk out those last few things we haven’t had time to address yet?”

His fingers gently stroke the fabric of her shirt at her hip and his lips brush against her temple. “I am fully aware that if I don’t allow you to stay here with me, you’ll merely ask Charlotte to room with her until my hearing.” Chloe nods against his shoulder. In fact, she’d already discussed it with Charlotte. “At least, if you stay here with me I can protect you somewhat from my family, and keep an eye on you for any… side effects.”

She pulls back to look up at him, eyes shining, and he interrupts her before she can say anything. “You _will promise me,_ Detective, that if you start to feel in any way strangely you _will_ allow Amenadiel or Raphael to take you home immediately.”

Chloe’s brows contract and she makes to argue, but he presses the pad of his forefinger to her lips. “This is not a negotiation, Detective. I am already risking far too much by allowing you to stay at all. You will agree to my condition, or Amenadiel will take you home now.”

**********************************

Ella’s earbuds pipe alternative music into her ears, and her body moves subtly to the beat as her beloved machines whir and hum around her, processing results for half a dozen crime scenes as she focuses on the microscope slides in front of her. She finishes the fiber analysis and feels the vibration of Steve the spectrometer announcing his test cycle is complete, so she turns away from the eyepieces and nearly runs headlong into someone that wasn’t there a moment ago.

“Ohmygod Rae-Rae! You scared the crap out of me!” Ella squeaks, throwing her arms around her friend. “It’s so great to see you! But, you usually don’t visit me at work, so… _why_ are you here?”

“Well, I have a message for you-“

“Oh! Oh, wow! You’ve got a message for me, _from the other side?”_ Ella interrupts excitedly. “Is it from my Mami? Or… or one of the victims?”

“Not a chance, Lopez.” Her friend smirks at her, amused. “It’s actually from Lucifer. He’s, um, stuck in Heaven at the moment, and wanted me to let you know so you wouldn’t worry too much- and hopefully won’t kick him in the shins again when he gets back.”

 _“Lucifer_ is in _Heaven?”_ Ella squeals, before looking around guiltily, then continues more quietly. “Wait- oh my- is he dead? _Did something happen to him?_ ”

“Yes. No. And… kind of.” Azrael answers shortly. “He got kidnapped by Michael, our Dad apparently wants to meet with him about those loops he’s been working with, and the souls that are winding up in Heaven after letting go of their guilt.”

“When will he be back? Wait. He _will_ be back, right? Rae-Rae, he’s coming back?” Ella’s voice becomes more strident when Azrael doesn’t answer right away.

“I… I know he _wants_ to come back, Lopez. More than anything.” Azrael’s eyes flicker down to her quirky red hi-tops and back up to her friend’s face. “But, we don’t know what our Father will do with him once the interview is over.”

“Well, I don’t see why the Big Guy wouldn’t let Lucifer come back once he’s had his chat. Lucifer does _so much_ good work down here- our closing rate is outstanding with his help! And- wait…” Ella pulls her phone out of her pocket. “I just got a text from Chloe about a half hour ago saying she needed to run an errand for Lucifer and wouldn’t have her phone with her. Do you know anything about that, Rae-Rae?”

The angel of death looks back at her only friend, confused. “I don’t know anything about Chloe, but I don’t know what errand she might have to run for Lu, with him stuck in Heaven. She might not even know where he is yet, it’s hardly been any time at all, here.”

“Why, how long has he been up there?”

“Oh, by now it’s been at least a few months. I saw him not too long after he arrived, but time moves faster there. Not as fast as Hell, but still faster than here on Earth.” Azrael shrugs, but she looks a little worried.

“So… is there _anything_ I can do to help from here, then?” Ella wheedles.

“Nah, Lopez, Lu just asked me to let you know, so that you wouldn’t worry.”

“And so I wouldn’t kick him in the shins again…” Ella snickers. 

“Yeah… he was pretty clear on that! You must’ve got him _good_ , sis!”

“Oh you best believe it! I waited ‘til Chloe was around and had my pointy boots on!”

“Get ‘im, girl!” Azrael laughs, holding her fist out for a celebratory bump, which Ella reciprocates gleefully. “I’m sure he’ll be back before too long, but I promised him I would let you know when I caught a break.”

“All riiiiiight…” Ella draws out the second word dramatically. “If you see him before he gets back down here, let him know he’s off the hook for leaving without telling me first. It’s not like he can exactly tell the Big Guy ‘Hey sorry, I’ve gotta check with my homegirl Ella before I leave.’”

“Yeah, not really in the angelic makeup, flat out saying no to Dad.” Azrael comments off-handedly. “Look, Ella, I’ve gotta go, ‘death and taxes’ and all-“

“I know, you’re a friggin’ rolling stone.” Ella grins at her friend. “Smell ya later, Rae-Rae, and don’t forget-“

“Yeah, yeah, no spying on you in the shower- I remember.” The petite angel grins at her, and disappears in a gust of wind. Ella turns back to her machines, addressing Steve’s insistent notification and then turning to Chuck the chromatograph.

*******************

“All right, so I concede to going home if I develop any of your ‘celestial side effects’, and I can stay here with you until your hearing. Is that the deal?” Chloe’s lips brush against the hollow of Lucifer’s throat.

“Mmhm.” Lucifer hums in agreement. “I should also stipulate that if you find you need food or drink, you’ll also need to return to Earth. The sustenance I can manifest here can’t maintain a living human body, Detective, so if you find you need it, you won’t be able to stay. There’s just so much we don’t know about what being here will do to you…”

“But I can stay _here_ with you in the meantime, yeah?” A small smile creeps across Chloe’s lips, and Lucifer sighs in defeat.

“It’s a deal, Detective. Though of course, you are free to go at any time of your choosing, you needn’t wait to develop any of those pesky potential side effects…”

“I’m adding a caveat that you can’t keep trying to discourage me from staying with you, Lucifer.” Her hand cups his cheek, and she holds his gaze with earnest eyes. “I love you, and I want to be here, and help if I can.”

His forehead rests against hers, his long fingers sliding up the back of her neck and into her hair. “Having you here is lovely, Chloe- I only wish that it didn’t involve quite so much danger for you.”

“You know we’d both get bored if we didn’t have at least a little danger for company.” She playfully runs her left hand over the ticklish spot on the right side of his chest and he twitches away from her, huffing an involuntary laugh.

“I really think _you_ are quite enough danger to be going on with for the time being, my dear.” The look in his eyes is heated as he leans in toward her, but a soft tap on the door inspires a frustrated sigh. His eyes gentle to a soft twinkle and he calls “Yes, brother, it’s safe to enter, do come in.”

Chloe slides off his lap, accompanied by a disappointed groan from Lucifer, and back onto the piano bench beside him as Amenadiel steps into the room.

“Have you two reached an agreement, then? What’s the plan?” His eyes flicker between the pair, and he seems satisfied with what he sees.

“I’ve agreed that Chloe can stay here with me until my hearing, _if_ she wishes to, and _if_ she doesn’t suffer any ill effects from being here.” Amenadiel nods his understanding. “Unfortunately, brother, that agreement is going to be contingent on your cooperation as well. Should Chloe need to leave, will you agree to pop up here and ferry her back down to Earth? It may need to be a 911 request…”

“Of course, Luci, just pray for me and I’ll come immediately to collect her. Anything to help where I can. Have you heard from Father at all since you’ve been here?”

“I’ve heard zilch from Father, as usual. The only angelic soul I’ve seen other than yourself and my reflection has been Azrael. She popped in my first day or so here, but I haven’t seen her since. You know how busy she is.” Lucifer continues cheerily, “Delilah, the good Padre Frank, and Charlotte have been kind enough to visit me and chat from time to time, and I’ve managed to amuse myself with… decorating.”

Chloe’s eyes roam around the room and her mouth twitches as she spots some of the hieroglyphs that Charlotte had warned her about. Amenadiel notices them at the same time and his mouth falls open. Chloe tries to hold back her laughter and winds up nearly choking on a snort. She never thought she’d make the comparison, but if the 6-foot-2 angel standing in front of her were wearing pearls, he’d likely be clutching them right now.

“Luci, _why—_ you know what, never mind. At least you’re keeping yourself entertained, I suppose.” He shakes his head and makes a noticeable effort to tear his eyes away from the lewd glowing graffiti on the walls. “Has Michael not been by, then?”

“Thankfully, I’ve not seen that bag of dicks since he dropped me off here and took my promise not to attempt escape. I’m hoping to continue that trend, especially now that I’ll apparently be having some unplanned, semi-permanent company.” He grins lasciviously at Chloe and she rolls her eyes back at him, squeezing his hand in hers.

“We sent Raphael to speak with Gabriel about your whereabouts- I had no idea Charlotte would have already tracked you down or he would be here with us now. I sent him a prayer while I was outside, letting him know where you are. He was going to talk to Gabriel and then come to visit as well. He’s already indicated he would like to help however he can.”

“I do have a bit of a favor to ask there, Amenadiel, if you can manage it. Raphael was in Hell with me before Michael came, and he’s been reviewing some loops for potential changes to help the souls along their paths. I _think_ he may be able to tweak the loops himself, now that he’s seen me at it, but we didn’t try it while we were down there last. We were already planning to make a visit on Thursday- if Linda has any more treatment plans ready when you go back, would you and Maze be willing to slip into the Faultless section with Raphael and guard him while he sees if he can implement any of them? Provided you all are willing, of course. Maze can guide you down there as well as I could.”

Chloe doesn’t like how Lucifer is planning this- it feels like he’s making a contingency plan in case his Father does something permanent to him- something that does _not_ involve sending him to Hell. Because if Lucifer _were_ to be sent to Hell, he would be able to make the changes himself. _What punishment does God have that’s worse than Hell?_ Chloe flinches inwardly as she realizes that she likely doesn’t want to think about the answer to that question.

Another rap on the door announces Raphael’s arrival, and it lifts Chloe’s heart to see his relief when he realizes Lucifer is unharmed. The warmth in Lucifer’s eyes when he greets his brother has Chloe swallowing a lump in her throat.

_He’s been alone so long. Now he’s finally getting some of his family back. Surely God won’t take that away from him again._

Raphael and Amenadiel settle on the edge of the mattress, and the three brothers settle into a conversation about logistics for Raphael trying his luck at adjusting the Faultless loops. Chloe gives Lucifer’s hand a squeeze and rises from the piano bench to explore the room a little. Lucifer watches her go, but turns his focus back to his brothers when she gives him an encouraging smile.

The room is a stark contrast to Charlotte’s quarters. Where hers seemed sterile, Lucifer’s ooze comfort. The floor is a polished wood finish, and the walls are a warm ivory color (where they aren’t covered in glowing graffiti, of course). There are shelves taking up much of the wallspaces, covered in scrolls. She takes one down at random from one of the emptier shelves, but the runes she finds on it are incomprehensible to her.

 _I guess that rules out reading to pass the time,_ she thinks ruefully to herself. She moves over to the other shelf, the full one, and pulls another random scroll down, unrolling it just to feel the spring in the strangely thick paper. Her eyes glance across the same alphabet she saw on the other scroll, but then they seem to blur before her eyes. She blinks and the writing clarifies into something she can read. _Hm… interesting._ She skims the writing, and though she _can_ read it, it’s like… reading an academic paper. Something about different minerals and heat and energy- _A manual on how to build a star?_ She quirks a wry eyebrow at herself and makes a mental note to ask Lucifer about them later, as the three are still deep in conversation.

She glances again at the hieroglyphs on the wall, trying to pick out the bits that Charlotte had told her about and snickering to herself at Lucifer’s mischievous ways to claim this room as his own. _What’s one more tiny act of rebellion?_ She works her way slowly around the room, with the boys taking up the bed and piano, there’s not really much left, so she pokes her head through the door that Lucifer had indicated housed the bathroom. She finds a wide pedestal sink with a mirror, a garden tub sunk into the floor more than large enough for two, and a large, luxurious shower stall. She enters the room, and yep- of _course_ the garden tub has jacuzzi jets. She snorts quietly, fondly shaking her head. _Go big or go home, indeed._ She notes the lack of a toilet, and stops to take an internal inventory. She’s been here nearly a full day. She isn’t hungry, hasn’t felt a pang of thirst, and hasn’t needed to use the (apparently non-existent) facilities. Hopefully that means that Lucifer’s fears about her physical needs here will be fruitless. She examines herself closely in the mirror. No new lines around her eyes or neck, no graying of the hair. She takes a deep breath and holds it a moment before releasing it slowly. _Nothing to worry about, it’ll all be fine._ She wonders what Trixie is doing, and reminds herself that it’s been hardly any time at all on Earth, Trixie’s still in school and doesn’t even know her mom’s on an entirely different plane of existence. _Temporarily._ She buries a small flutter of unease, and leans forward to meet her gaze in the mirror.

 _Okay Decker._ She’s very careful _not_ to speak out loud, knowing the acuity of the angels’ hearing. _Can we do this?_ She pictures the coming weeks (months? _Years?_ ) with no one but Lucifer for company, enclosed in this tiny space. No Trixie. No work distractions. No movie nights or beach days or room to retreat. Just the two of them, in very close quarters, with little to no privacy. For a moment she feels herself falter in her resolution to stay. She knows Lucifer won’t hold it against her. _Hell, he’s terrified of having me here- he’s probably already convinced himself that_ this _is what will finally make me come to my senses and run as fast as I can away from him._ She thinks of the many times she has left him to his own devices, and how terribly those situations have generally worked out for him- not because he is incapable of taking care of himself, but because his circumstances have been so dire he couldn’t see how to. She thinks of the questions she hasn’t had a chance to ask him yet, of the stories they can share, the quiet company they can provide one another. She sees again in her mind’s eye the manufactured image of him folded around himself on his balcony alone, painfully picking bullets from wings ravaged by gunfire after protecting her.

 _Lucifer is used to being alone. But… I don’t_ want _him to be alone. I want to be with him, and I want him with me._

She sees the resolve harden in the mirror, her decision resting lightly on her heart. She nods to herself, and turns the tap on, collecting some water in her hands and splashing it carefully on her face. She reaches for the incredibly soft towel hanging on a bar next to the sink and dabs herself dry before opening the door and re-entering the larger room. Lucifer’s eyes catch hers, arching an eyebrow in inquiry and she nods a response with a small smile. He offers his hand to her, and she crosses the room to take it, settling next to him again on the bench, her exploration complete for now.

“Ready to give up on the idea of double occupation here, Detective?” Lucifer asks archly, “You must admit that even by your budget standards, this isn’t exactly luxury accommodations.”

“Nope,” she nudges his shoulder with hers, leaning into him. “You’re stuck with me, partner.”

She feels him heave a silent sigh next to her, and his cheek rests against the top of her head as his arm snakes around her waist and holds her close. She doesn’t dare to look up at him to see if he’s relieved or resigned. She glances across to Raphael, who is regarding her with a slightly unfocused look in his eyes. She watches as he comes back to himself and clears his throat.

“From what I can See,” he begins softly, “Heaven has had no negative effects on you since your arrival, Chloe. I have few duties to see to, so I can visit frequently to confirm that nothing develops over time.”

“Thank you, brother.” A bit more of the tension ebbs from Lucifer’s frame. “I’m hoping all this planning will be unnecessary, but I do appreciate your being willing to try to manipulate the loops, Raphael. Linda has a fair supply of the scenarios that her students are currently working through, and-“

“Lucifer, we _know_.” Amenadiel chuckles at his brother’s insistent focus. “I’m sure Father will see you soon, and you’ll be out of here in plenty of time to make your visit as planned tomorrow.”

“Amenadiel, you’ll let Maze know where we are? Azrael said she would fill in Ms. Lopez for me.” Lucifer glances down at Chloe, and continues hesitantly, “I’m not certain what you’d like Ms. Lopez and Daniel to know about your presence here, Detective- I fear they’re both still adjusting to their initial knowledge of the greater truth. Finding out you’re, well, _here_ may prove to be difficult to process if we’re not there to manage the situation.”

“I sent them a text before I left, saying that I was running an errand for you, and that I wouldn’t have my phone on me.” She feels his laughter vibrating from his chest before the sound reaches her ears.

“You’re getting quite good at telling the truth without giving away the _entire_ truth, darling. I fear I am a bad influence.”

“Oh, please. Like I don’t use that technique as a cop literally _every day._ ” She laughs with him, and the other two join in at Lucifer’s playful scoff.

“I should be getting back to Linda, she’ll want to know that you’re okay, Luci.” Amenadiel stands and prepares to leave “Chloe, I’ll be listening for Lucifer in case you need a ride home, okay? You’ve nothing to worry about there.”

“Thank you Amenadiel,” she smiles up at the earnest angel. “I’m sure I’ll be fine, and tell Linda not to worry too much.”

He steps to the door and unfurls his wings after he crosses the threshold. “I’ll see all of you soon.”

“Yes, hopefully sooner rather than later and back on Earth, brother. Safe travels, now.” Lucifer dismisses his brother with an affectionate wave, and a slight breeze from doorway announces Amenadiel’s departure.

Raphael starts to stand, but stills as Lucifer stretches a hand toward him, a silent request to wait a moment.

“Amenadiel said you had gone to speak with Gabriel, brother?” Lucifer asks quietly.

“The plan is to try to keep Chloe’s existence here as quiet as possible… Do I need to worry about a visit from him?”

“I didn’t get to speak with him at length, Lucifer.” Raphael admits, “The training with Serimael is at a tricky point right now, and you know Gabriel’s patience is not his strongest virtue.”

“Yes,” Lucifer chuffs a laugh, “how exactly did _Gabriel_ wind up with the welcoming duties after…”

“Gabriel had filled in for Uriel in the past, when Father had sent Uriel on other projects. So, the task fell to him until someone else could be assigned.” Raphael filled in the rest of Lucifer’s question seamlessly, with no hint of recrimination for what had become of Uriel.

“As to whether you’ll be seeing Gabriel during your visit here, brother, I’m afraid I don’t know. He did express interest in my recent experience with you when we spoke.”

“Hmm.” Lucifer doesn’t speak again for a moment. His thumb brushes absently along Chloe’s shoulder as he thinks.

“Do you want me to discourage him from visiting when next I speak with him, brother?”

“No, that’s not necessary, Raphael- though I appreciate the thought.” Lucifer smiles at his brother, visibly perking up. “Trying to actively discourage him may raise suspicions, especially since it’s not likely that he’ll choose to visit me while I’m here anyway. I know we don’t need to worry about Michael making an appearance, at least. I can deal with Gabriel if I must.”

“All right, brother. I should check in with Michael, and see if there is any need for my skills. With our adventure, I’ve been away long enough to have been missed.”

“Raphael- thank you again.” Lucifer’s voice is sincere and soft. “For the help in Hell, and again with Michael and the Detective. I am in your debt.”

“There is no debt, brother.” Raphael’s eyes are warm, and he reaches forward to clasp Lucifer’s shoulder. “I will see you both again soon. You know how to reach me, if I am needed.”

He stands and strides from the room, gently closing the door behind him, and leaving the two of them alone. Chloe snuggles into the hollow of Lucifer’s shoulder.

“So, you don’t think we need to worry about Gabriel finding me out?”

As long as Michael doesn’t see you, Detective, I don’t think we need to worry about anyone finding out you’re not just another soul visiting me here.” His breath ruffles through her hair, and the fingertips of his hand find the pulse point at her throat, resting there as though he needs the reassurance. “Unless you’re planning to go around displaying your heartbeat to every angel you meet, now…”

“Only the ones that are so devastated by the thought that I might be dead that they need undeniable proof that I’m not…” She reaches for his free hand and places it over the steady beat of her heart.

“Ah. Well, then, I think we should be safe indeed.” He pulls in a deep breath, and focuses on the room itself as he pulls away from her. “I should probably make some adjustments to the room, Detective, to accommodate you a bit better. Would you like to take a shower? I’m afraid the soap isn’t your normal vanilla and sweet pea-scented fare, but the water pressure and heat are lovely, and by the time you’re done, I should be finished out here.”

“That does sound nice, Lucifer, thanks.” She stands, pecking him on the cheek and retreating to the bathroom to give him some space. She notices a new towel hanging from a hook that was definitely not there when she was in here earlier, and a neatly folded sleep shirt that certainly looks like something she would wear. She files it away with her list of questions to be asked and starts fiddling with the shower settings.

When she emerges from the bathroom, toweling her hair, she blinks in surprise at the changes to the room at large. The color scheme is the same, but that’s the only thing that indicates she hasn’t just walked into a completely different room. A loft has appeared, adding a second level to the room with shelves lining the walls. The scrolls have disappeared, to be replaced with rows upon rows of bound books. Among the shelves on that level are a couple of squashy reading nooks that appear as though they can be divided off for privacy as needed and a long couch along one wall. On the ground level, the piano has been moved off to the side, nestled comfortably under the stairs to the loft and Lucifer is perched in one of the new chairs that have been arranged in the opposite corner. The bed has been widened, and now appears to have a cabinet built into the headboard.

Lucifer gives her time to take in the alterations, and she finally drifts into the chair next to his. “I thought we might make use of some of the vertical space available to us, Detective, so that you might be able to find some privacy as needed. I’ve added some novels that I think you’d enjoy- that you’ll actually be able to read- and the bed is now a murphy, so when it’s not in use we can fold it up for more floor space. I’m open to suggestions, darling, but I think this is all I’ve got the energy for at the moment.”

“Lucifer –“ she looks more closely at him, and notices the shadows beneath his eyes that weren’t there before her shower. “where did this come from? How-?”

“Well, from… me, I suppose.” He gives her a wan smile, and she notices a new, faint pallor to his face. “The Silver City can be shaped by Will, and that happens to be one of my strongest talents here that I can still use.”

“What happened to your scrolls?” She asks the first question that comes to mind, an easy one, she hopes.

“Oh, they’re up there, I simply transmuted them into bound books instead. Easier to store, takes up less space. I put them on the upper shelves, since I didn’t think they’d hold any interest for you. I didn’t think the Enochian alphabet was taught on Earth.” He lifts a wry eyebrow at her.

“Well, the one I was looking was definitely above my paygrade- looked like a recipe for a star, or a nuclear reactor or something.”

“A recipe for- what?” His brow crinkles in confusion.

“I couldn’t read one of the scrolls I picked up, but the second one I tried went all blurry, then I could read it. I couldn’t _understand_ it, but I could read it, at least.”

“Show me?” He stands, but he’s unsteady on his feet, and Chloe lunges to catch him. “Hm. I appears I may have overdone just a tad.”

“Yeah, maybe a bit.” Chloe slings an arm around his waist and steadies his weaving frame as well as she can. “Let’s get you to bed, Satan, I think you’ve had a big day.”

“So eager to get me into bed, Detective?” Lucifer flirts lightly, but his words are slurred, and he allows himself to lean against her a little as she supports him over to the mattress.

“At least we don’t have to be up early for once, hm?” They perch on the edge of the bed, and she removes his jacket as he droops in place. She drapes it across the foot of the mattress and goes back to help his fumbling fingers undo the buttons of his shirt and waistcoat. She slides them off his shoulders and notices a slight clamminess to his skin. “You really wiped yourself out doing this, didn’t you?”

She tries to keep the accusation out of her voice, but he flinches away from her anyway. “I wanted you to be as comfortable as you can be, Detective. I’ll make any changes you like, just… maybe tomorrow?”

She cups his face with her palms and presses her lips to his forehead as she stands before him. “C’mon Lucifer, pants off, into bed. Let’s get some rest. We’ve got plenty of time to talk later.”

He manages to fumble his belt off, and slides his pants off leaving his boxer briefs on and slipping exhaustedly between the sheets. Chloe remembers seeing a hangar in the bathroom, and takes his suit to arrange it there before coming back to slide into bed next to him. His body feels cooler than usual, and she can feel him trembling as she snuggles into his side and pulls the sheets up over them both. He closes his eyes, a crease forms between his eyebrows and the light dims down to a faint sourceless glow, just enough that it’s not pitch dark in the room. He breathes a small sigh of relief when it’s done. He turns his head and she feels his lips gently brush her hair. “Good night, Detective. I’m… sorry you’re here, but… I’m so glad you came.”

His arm tightens around her, and she chuckles at his muddled sentiment, but she understands him perfectly. “Good night Lucifer. I love you, too.”


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Explicit rating applies here, though there is also some plot... Watch for the breaks!

_He hovers, wings spread in a vast expanse of silent, swirling darkness. In the dim light emanating from his wings he can just make out the shadowy wings and pale skin of his twin hovering nearby._

_“Ready, brother?” The words trickle into his mind through their angelic link, tingling with anticipation for their assignment. He can feel the elements coalescing around them, roiling with the currents of energy that Michael draws into being. He waits, letting the vortex coil tighter and the flickering ribbons of energy gain intensity as he gathers the Will to shape them. When the pressure is nigh unbearable, he extends his hands, fingers spread and palms facing each other, as though holding a large bubble in front of him. The empty space within his hands begins to glow with a white-hot incandescence, and he feels a gravity start to draw the debris inside it. The threads of energy whirl around the brightness, attracted as a moth to a flame, and sparks ignite where the glimmering tendrils meet the light, trailing a path through the elements contained within._

_Samael holds the twisting nebulous mass as it concentrates, his hands moving apart as it the light intensifies and expands. He feels the heat washing over his palms, licking up his forearms and caressing his face. He spares a glance at Michael, seeing his face drawn tight in focus, eyes narrowed to slits and focused inward. The sphere of swirling light and darkness continues to grow exponentially until Samael gives it a colossal push away from them, just in time for it to erupt into a soundless explosion. The two archangels watch in exhaustion and awe as the empty space around them is rapidly filled with glimmering pinpoints of light and nebulous glowing vapor trails interweaving between them._

_“It is resplendent,” Michael drifts closer to Samael and reaches his hand out to clasp his twin’s shoulder. “Well done, Samael.”_

Lucifer wakes slowly, still floating in the star-spangled expanse of the dream-memory. He’s strangely warm, and for a moment he wonders if he’s still dreaming because for the first time in far too long he’s blissfully wrapped around the person he’s been longing for. He stops wondering if he’s dreaming when he realizes she’s snoring into his hair, and he sleepily chuckles into her shoulder. He pulls in a deep breath, reveling in having her here with him and allows his exhaustion to pull him back down into slumber.

He feels much more rested when gentle fingers tracing over his face tease him back to consciousness some time later. They’ve changed positions as they slept- he finds that he’s currently sprawled on his back with Chloe a warm line against his side, her leg thrown over his. He opens his eyes to find her propped up on an elbow, looking down at him with a warm smile. He returns the smile, sending a brief burst of focus to increase the light in the room.

“Good morning, Detective.” His gravelly voice rumbles in the silence of the room, and he reaches up to brush some hair behind her ear.

“Is it? Morning, I mean?” Her fingers continue to gently stroke his cheek. “How can you tell, with no windows?”

He quietly clears his throat to remove the rasp from his voice before he answers. “Heaven doesn’t exactly have a solar cycle like Earth, so… technically, no it’s not morning.” He runs the pad of his thumb over her cheekbone and continues, “But, as we just woke up, and you’re here with me, _good morning_ seems as appropriate a greeting as any.”

“Mm, you have a point.” She settles back down on the mattress next to him, pillowing her cheek on his chest. “You look like you feel better, at least. I was worried last night.”

“Yes, well, willing things into existence here does take a bit of a toll, but a little rest is all I need to recharge.” He rolls his head to the side, resting his cheek against the top of her head. “So if you’ve thought of some changes, I can get started on them today.”

“Lucifer, you don’t need to exhaust yourself making more changes!” Chloe protests, “Let’s go with what you’ve already done, and see how it works for a while, okay?

“As you wish, darling.” A lazy smile crosses his lips. “Am I allowed to exhaust myself in other ways? Because I can think of a few ways to pass some time…”

Chloe glances apprehensively at the door to the chamber. “Does anyone ever just walk in here?”

“Shy, Detective?” Lucifer chuckles quietly. “No, I may be a prisoner, but this is the Silver City. If anyone wants to enter, I must give permission. Michael knows I cannot leave my quarters without Father’s say so, and so anything I do in here has very little interest to him, or anyone else for that matter.”

“You didn’t have to give permission for me to come in-“ Chloe begins, confused.

“Oh, darling, this room is an extension of _my_ will. In a way, it _is_ me.” She feels his lips brush against the top of her head. “I didn’t need to give permission because I have thought of little else but being with you since I’ve been stuck here. Of _course_ you were able to enter, this room loves you just as I do.”

“Oh,” she replies nearly silently, as her mind tips into action. “Is that why I could read that scroll last night?”

“Oh, we didn’t get to address that, did we?” Lucifer muses. “Shall we meander upstairs for an experiment, then? Just until you’re more comfortable for… other, more pleasurable activities?”

She glances up and finds him raising a wickedly teasing eyebrow at her. Her eyes flicker to his grinning lips, then further down to the sheet stretched over his arousal.

“Hmm.” She pretends to consider, tracing her fingers over his chest slowly. She feels his heart rate start to pick up under her cheek though his breathing remains steady.

His hand on her back slides over the fabric of her sleep shirt, finding her bare skin where it’s ridden up. The warmth of his touch ignites the embers that had been smoldering since she woke tangled with him. She pushes herself up and captures his lips with hers, eliciting a muffled, blissful sound from him as he pulls her closer. She leans over him, resting one hand on his chest while the other slides fingers into his hair. His hand slides up her spine under her pajamas and she sighs against him as tendrils of heat spiral through her at the contact. She leans back long enough to pull the shirt over her head, and he takes advantage of the moment to pull her over and astride him. She settles onto her knees, resting lightly over the tight musculature of his lower abdomen as his palms gently stroke the length of her thighs. 

He gazes up at her as though there is nothing more precious to him, and she feels her face flushing self-consciously even as his wandering hands send sparks of heat blazing under her skin. She stretches forward, sliding her hands up over his ribs and his sigh of contentment ruffles her hair as she brushes her lips down the side of his neck. Nibbling the sensitive skin over his collarbone pulls a moan from him that has her rocking her hips against him. His hands knead deeply at the flesh of her thighs, and she feels the heat of his erection pressing against her backside. Her breath catches and she sighs as one of his hands moves up the inside of her thigh, tickling the sensitive skin there with feather-light caresses.

She whispers his name against his throat in a wash of warm shuddering breath as his fingers brush against her center. She sits up, moving against them as they dip inside, gently stroking between her lips. His breathing is ragged in her ear but his movements are languid; taking the time to appreciate the sound of her voice, her swaying body above him, the salt-sweet taste of her skin, the heat of her core pressed against his stomach, and the scent of her arousal in his hand. He allows himself to get lost in her nearness, trying not to remember the centuries alone in Hell, then the more recent months trapped away from her here in Heaven. Exquisite tension builds in his groin and his breath hisses from him each time Chloe’s undulating body brushes against his straining erection.

Her hands slide down his chest, fingernails scraping along the planes of his musculature, digging in slightly each time Lucifer’s fingers slide deeper inside her. His thumb lightly brushes her clit and she keens as he presses further, crooking his fingers to apply pressure at just the right angle to send kaleidoscopes of light spinning behind her eyelids. Her muscles tremble around him and her thighs clench as she throws her head back, her keening breaking into a full-throated cry as his thumb circles, then presses down firmly to send her over the edge into climax. His eyes are locked onto her, drinking in the utter beauty of her release. He etches the line of her throat, the soft curves of her body tensed and shivering atop him, the cascade of her golden hair falling over her shoulders into his mind, a treasured memory to retreat to in darker days.

The tension floods from her body in a sudden release and she sags forward onto his chest, laughing breathlessly as she takes in his satisfied smirk.

“Always so smug,” she teases, sliding her body down his to brush against his swollen member. She giggles at the strangled sound that escapes his throat as his hips buck involuntarily at the pressure.

“Detective…” his tone is a pleading whine, and his hands move to hold her hips in place. “I… we don’t have any johnnies, here…”

She stills as she processes what he’s telling her. “Well, Raphael said we’re not in any danger of a pregnancy, right?”

“He… did, yes.”

“And you trust him?”

“I’ve not known him to lie, so… I have no reason to _dis_ trust him.”

He speaks through gritted teeth, his eyes clenched shut, and she can feel his carefully restrained muscles trembling under her.

She only takes a heartbeat to come to her conclusion. “If you trust him, _I_ trust him.”

His eyelids pop open, surprise and desire warring in those impossibly dark depths. “Chloe—”

“Yes _.”_

He stares for a moment, eyes locked on hers. Then a flash of movement underneath her and she’s being rolled back onto the mattress in his arms, the length of his body pressed against her and her squeak of surprise quickly evolves into a wanton moan of need as she feels the head of his erection pressed against her entrance. He holds there and she can feel him drawing in a deep, steadying breath against the skin of her throat.

“Lucifer,” she gasps, _“please.”_

He presses another kiss to her throat before moving back to her lips, placing a gentle kiss there before pulling back to meet her eyes. His fathomless gaze is completely dark, pupils dilated so the warm brown of his irises are just barely discernable around the shining depth of desire she reads there. She feels the mingled heat of their simultaneous exhale as the hard length of him makes the first, shallow thrust. She can feel every ridge and contour of him as he enters her, whining in desperate need as he withdraws only to push deeper with each agonizingly euphoric movement of his body. He closes his eyes in bliss as he seats himself fully inside, and she tilts her head to rest her forehead on his, bumping his nose with hers as they pant, open-mouthed. She crosses her ankles behind him and rocks her hips upward, encouraging him to move, and he does.

Slowly at first, rhythmically, bringing to mind the Newton’s cradle on her desk- each motion calling for an equal reaction from her own body. Encouragements and endearments escape their lips between heated kisses and caresses until they are beyond coherent speech, their movements then only punctuated by expressive moans and sighs of pleasure. The tension builds deliciously throughout both of their bodies, coiling and entwining them tightly together until it becomes nearly painful. He comes, first breathing her name like a prayer, then again gutturally as he continues to thrust, his release pulsing in waves through both of them. The rawness of his exclamation echoes throughout her body, and her core grips him tight, clenching in trembling ecstasy as she cries out stridently with her own climax. Her fingers dig into his back as they press into one another, carried along on the crest of their quivering surrender. Lucifer’s movements slow, turning from urgent thrusts into gentle flexes that send warm ripples through her entire being, his lips never leaving her skin. Frenzied breathing eases, replaced by languid sighs and gasps, both eager to prolong this closeness. They move as the tide- ebbing and flowing lazily, relentlessly in a cycle as old as the moon; fluctuating between light-hearted laughter and passionate exclamations until Chloe clutches at him, mewling and shaking in bliss as he erupts into her depths again.

********************************

There is no way to tell how long they spend this way- with no visitors to interrupt this new intimacy, they sleep tangled together when they need it, shower when they like, and spend the rest of their time in as much contact with each other as they can possibly manage. Eventually, they do venture from the bed, and to Chloe’s surprise, it is at Lucifer’s suggestion.

“Care to explore those former scrolls now, darling?” His voice rumbles in his chest as he finishes toweling his hair, leaving it somewhat damp to run his fingers through in a futile attempt to tame the curls. Apparently, his Will isn’t quite enough to manifest a gel strong enough to contain them, so he mostly doesn’t try anymore. Chloe secretly loves the curls, and tries to hide her smile at his frustration at failing to contain them.

“Oh yeah, we do keep forgetting about those, don’t we?” She grins like a Cheshire cat and Lucifer chuckles wickedly at her vain attempt at innocence.

He finishes buttoning his waistcoat but leaves his jacket slung over the back of one of the chairs, offering his elbow as an escort up the curved staircase to the upper level where the bookcases line the walls. Rows of leather-bound books line the shelves, and she picks one up at random, recognizing the novel from the first page. She flips through the pages, gorgeously printed until she reaches an unfamiliar passage, eyebrows lifting as she reads further.

“Um.. Lucifer…” she starts laughing and has trouble finishing her thought. “It may have been awhile since I’ve read it, but I’m nearly _positive_ that Pride & Prejudice does _not_ have any graphic sex scenes in it.”

“Oh?” He sounds innocently surprised. “I suppose those didn’t make it to the final cut then. I can’t say I’m surprised, as repressed as they tried to keep their women…” His eyes go distant, a small smile quirking the corner of his mouth. “Jane was a lovely woman, though- despite her thoroughly boring name.”

Chloe rolls her eyes and flips the book closed, looking at the title page again, not at all surprised to find an inscription, dedicating the copy to the _real_ Mr. Darcy. She shakes her head and places the book back on the shelf.

“These are the ones I added for you specifically, I’m afraid I can only manifest ones that I’m particularly familiar with, so if you’ve a request let me know and I’ll see what I can dredge up for you.” He stretches up to the higher shelves and pulls down a volume at random. “These are the ones that were here before, they’re all in Enochian.”

He hands her the heavy tome, and she lets it fall open to a random page, looking at the runes adorning the pages. No blurring, no changes. She shrugs and hands it back. “Nothing. Maybe it was a fluke.”

“Well, let’s not give up just yet. You said the one you found that you could read looked like a recipe? I certainly don’t have any cookbooks here…”

“It was just, a list of elements and some equations. I couldn’t really make sense of it, it looked like some kind of academic paper.”

“Hmm…” he traces his fingers along the bindings, searching until he finds the spine he’s looking for. “Try this one?”

She opens to a page and is again greeted with pictographic runes. She looks for a moment, then flicks her eyes up to his expectant face with a sheepish smile. “Still nothing.”

“Interesting. That’s the only book I had on elements that wasn’t from my… oh.” His eyebrows contract slightly, and his face goes blank.

“Oh?” Chloe echoes, recognizing the look of realization on his face. “Oh, what?”

“Try this one, Detective.” He stretches up to the highest shelf, pulling a book from it without looking and handing it to her.

She tries to catch his eye, but he glances off to the side, rubbing at an imaginary smudge on the shelf next to them.

She opens the book and there is that now-familiar blurring sensation. As the text suddenly appears before her, she gasps and looks up her partner, wide-eyed. He gazes back, reading her face, and nods slowly. And she begins to read.

_“I’ve spent the past several months exploring the gardens outside the city proper. Arael has certainly outdone himself with the sheer variety of growth I find there. I find it hard to believe that Father planned for plants that can alter mental states, let alone ones that can communicate with one another through their root systems! Each time I visit I find new and wonderful examples. Arael even told me that some of them have properties to heal, or even kill some of the newer beings that Father has started experimenting with. I’ll have to remember to tell Raphael about those, I’m sure he’ll want to speak with our brother about anything with healing properties. Father knows he doesn’t have much else to do unless a fledgling manages to injure himself by flying too close to one of the spires.”_

The entry stops here, and her eyes flicker back to Lucifer’s face. “What is this?”

“This is one of my journals,” he smiles gently at it. “One of the earlier ones, from happier times, that is.”

“A journal?” She looks up at the shelf he pulled the volume from. The book is as thick as the width of her hand, and the writing inside, while neat and perfectly legible, is small and economically spaced. The shelf is full of similarly sized volumes. “How many of these are there?”

“The three top shelves are the journals,” he comments casually, “The shelves below that are books that I read often while I lived here, but did not write myself. It appears you’re unable to read those.”

“Why… why can I read this one?” She’s puzzled, and a little in awe of the amount of time represented by these diaries. _And this is only from the amount of time he lived_ here _,_ she thinks, _to say nothing of the lifetimes upon lifetimes he spent wasting away in Hell._ The burning anger that appears in her chest every time she really considers what Lucifer has been put through flares to life yet again, and she works to smother it. It will only upset him if she starts ranting about his Father while they’re actually in the Silver City.

“Try this one,” he suggests, handing her another volume from the same shelf.

She cracks open the book and once more the writing slides out of focus until it sharpens again into perfectly legible passages. She shakes her head in bewilderment, handing the book back to him and he nods as though he had expected the outcome.

“I’m not certain, but there are at least a two possible reasons you can read my journals, Detective.” She lifts an enquiring eyebrow at him, and he takes that as a request to continue. “One possible reason is simply that I speak every language. No one else has looked at these journals- at least that I’m aware of. It’s possible that since they’re written straight from my thoughts that they would simply translate into the reader’s native written tongue.” He doesn’t look quite satisfied with this explanation, but it does seem as reasonable a solution as their (admittedly insane) lives could credit.

“And the second possibility?”

“It could have something to do with our Bond.” He shrugs. “I’m afraid soul bonds aren’t something I know anything about, but if you’re truly curious I suppose we could ask Raphael. He seems to have made something of a study of them during his millennia up here. Of course, even as soul bonds go, we’re a bit of a unique case…” He lets that thought trail off, lost in his own mind for a moment.

“Unique how?” Chloe prompts, impatient.

“Raphael told me he’s never seen an angelic soul with a Bond before, so there’s a high likelihood he won’t have any better idea about it than we do.” He gives her a crooked grin. “But of course, you can certainly ask him the next time he stops by.”

“How often have you had visitors since you’ve been here?” Chloe ventures, curious.

“Well… you’ve had a small chance to see for yourself that time here can be difficult to gauge accurately. My sister Azrael stopped by shortly after I arrived. Then I didn’t see anyone for quite some time until Charlotte managed to find her way here. Since then I think she, Delilah, and Frank have worked out a rotation to keep me more or less entertained between them.”

“Father Lawrence was thanking you for something as he was leaving.” Chloe remembers suddenly.

“Oh, that.” Lucifer dismisses evasively. “Nothing, really, just a molehill he’s made into a bit of a mountain.”

“What molehill would that be?” She prods a bit further, noticing that he doesn’t quite meet her eye.

“Truly, Detective, it’s nothing.” He’s getting agitated, but answers her anyway. “That altar boy of his, I merely… took a bit of an interest. It was… less than nothing.”

“Connor?” She asks blankly. “What kind of an interest did you take?”

He signs resignedly. “It was of no consequence to find out what he desired. From there, it was child’s play to make an introduction to a proper mentor and hedge him around a bit to encourage him to make better choices moving forward. The boy is doing quite well in his internship and is on his way to becoming a record producer in a few years if he keeps it up.”

“Lucifer, that’s-“

“Yes, well, as I said- it was a simple matter and really not worth the fuss that Frank’s been on about it.” He concludes briskly, brushing the subject aside with a wry twist of his lips. He pulls down a heavy volume and settles into one of the reading nooks, obviously hoping to discontinue this particular subject.

Chloe reaches for Pride & Prejudice, and settles into the nook facing his, letting him have his illusion of privacy as she regards him over the top of the novel.

 _How many people does he watch over? He was keeping tabs on Connor- for years apparently! He was watching out for Ella’s brother Jay. Has he followed the progress on the Haitian boy that he sponsored with the scholarship? Come to think of it, that lawyer has contacted me several more times since the Dunlear case about large anonymous donations…_ She thinks about the people she’s met that have been so eager to help Lucifer, to interact with him. How many of them have been people that he’s done “inconsequential” kindnesses for that have changed their circumstances so vastly? She feels a pang of shame and embarrassment as she recalls her sanctimonious efforts to “reform” him after the Kinley nightmare.

_“Maybe it's best if you don't drink so much. You know, at least while we're working.”_

_“Ah. I see what this is about.”_

_“ You do?”_

_“Yes. And you needn't worry, Detective. Unbelievable as it may seem, being the actual devil does have its downsides. I can't get drunk on normal, human amounts of alcohol. I only drink because I like the taste.”_

_“Well, I'm... but people don't know that.”_

_“What do I care what other people think?”_

_*_

_“Have you ever considered donating any of your vast fortune to charity?”_

_“I've put many a nubile law student through college, thank you very much, several of which were named Charity, so...”_

_*_

_“What are we doing in a soup kitchen?”_

_“Volunteering. You should try it. It could be fun.”_

_“Watching people trip and fall is fun. This... not fun.” He waves the hairnet and apron vaguely_

_“Lucifer, I just thought it would be nice for us to do something good for a change.”_

_“Oh, for a_ change _. And just what exactly is it you'd like me to change?”_

_“Oh, Lucifer, that's not what I meant. Listen, okay, if you'd like to leave, we can leave.”_

_“You have been acting very strange, Detective. Wanting me to drink less, be nicer to suspects, be more...more philanthropic.”_

_“Oh, that's not true.”_

_“The only thing that's true is that you've been lying to me…”_

Her gut twists as the memories flood her mind. She thinks again of the ordinary people like the hostess at the restaurant, who got an introduction to people that became incredibly important in their lives. All the owner/operators of the tiny little places he frequents that insist his money is no good within their walls. The outlandishly large tips he leaves every time they eat out somewhere. _He’s never drawn attention to any of it, which means he likely doesn’t even realize how enormous a positive impact he has made on those lives._ And sure, some of them owe him favors now… but she’s never seen or heard of him asking something that the recipient was unwilling to give. _Hell, for Delilah the only thing he asked for was for her to get her life together!_ And besides that… no one likes feeling like a charity case. Perhaps being able to repay the favor helps those people with their own self-worth.

She settles in to read her novel, and smiles to herself again at the dedication on the title page. _“To the real Mr. Darcy”_ indeed. Another obscenely rich, handsome, and slightly obnoxious man who had done good things without asking for recognition. Easy enough to recognize, now. She curls into the nook and loses herself in the story.

When she rouses herself from Hertfordshire some time later the opposite nook is vacant, and she blinks in surprise. She hadn’t heard him move. She casts around and finds him back on the ground floor, smoothing the scattered bedding into something fit for a Better Homes and Gardens photo shoot. Once the bed is made to his satisfaction, he folds it up into the cabinet, clearing the floor space. She looks on curiously as he unbuttons and removes his shirt and slowly goes through a series of stretches. The routine looks practiced and she realizes how difficult it must for someone with as much energy as her partner possesses to be trapped in a tiny room, nearly sedentary, for months on end with no outlet. She watches, mesmerized, while his muscles play under his skin as he cycles through graceful arm and torso movements, flexing and holding, bending and relaxing. A brief look of distaste crosses his face as he settles on the spotless floor in his trousers, continuing the stretching program with hip and leg movements, even a few positions that Chloe thinks might be yoga moves. He finishes the routine with a full-on, toe-to-fingertip stretch, as though he’s straining to touch the ceiling. His satisfied sigh when he relaxes back to a flat-footed stance reaches her ears on the second landing, and he finally notices her scrutiny.

“Like what you see, darling?” She has no trouble hearing the smirk in his voice, even if it _is_ too subtle for her to see at this distance.

“What’s not to like?” She calls back, and his bark of delighted laughter drifts up to her. Before he can respond, there is a light rap at the door, and Lucifer moves to answer.

“ _Char_ lotte!” Comes Lucifer’s sing-song cadence. “Come in, darling, I’ve just finished my stretches. I was about to shower, but I’m sure Chloe would appreciate the company while I do so!”

“Ah, so Chloe _is_ still here!” Charlotte steps inside as Lucifer clears the doorway for her, sweeping his arm in a gesture of welcome. “I wondered if you’d sent her away, but she didn’t come back to my quarters. Where- Oh goodness, you’ve been _busy,_ Lucifer!” her gaze sweeps the room, taking in the changes and then finds Chloe up on the second landing. She grins and waves in greeting.

“Oh, indeed we have. And I also redecorated!” Chloe can feel the heat of her blush creeping up her neck at the blatant innuendo, but can’t help laughing at her irrepressible partner. She hears Charlotte’s throaty chuckle and tries to get her flush under control. They can probably see it from where they stand. Chloe stands and makes her way down the curved staircase to greet her friend properly as Lucifer snags his shirt from one of the chairs and retreats to the bathroom to shower, leaving the two women alone. Charlotte speaks first.

“So… I had a visitor.”

“Oh? Raphael?”

“No…” Charlotte hesitates. “Michael.”


	26. Chapter 26

“Michael came to see you?” Chloe repeats, perturbed. “What did he want?”

“Apparently, to have a chat.” Charlotte shoots a glance at the closed door, waiting to make sure the water is still running before she continues, “About Lucifer.”

“Does Michael know I’m here? Did I… make more trouble for him?” She worries her bottom lip between her teeth.

“He didn’t ask me anything about you. It sounds like they might have had another arrival from downstairs.”

“Another one? Already?” Chloe’s eyebrows lift, impressed. “How long have I been here?”

“Oh goodness, I know- trying to measure time here is… challenging.” Charlotte giggles. “It’s been about a week since you came to my place.”

“A week?!” Chloe squeaks. 

_Holy shit, I just spent an entire week straight having incredible sex with Lucifer._

“Oh, don’t worry, hardly any time has passed on Earth!” Charlotte misinterprets Chloe’s poleaxed expression.

“No- yeah, no. I mean, _right_! I mean, it was only a couple hours from the time Michael took Lucifer before we arrived here, and it had been almost 6 months for him!” Chloe stammers, then recovers enough to make a coherent response. _Literally an entire week._ She can’t help but be a little impressed with their… dedication. She clears her throat, and dives back for the safer subject. “What did he have to say about the new soul?”

“Really- nothing, other than hinting that there was one, and that his Father was taking care of that interview.” Charlotte shakes her head, golden hair swaying with the movement. “He wanted to talk about Lucifer, asked me a ton of questions about his life on Earth, and my interactions with him while I was alive.”

“He was asking about Lucifer’s life on Earth?” Chloe narrows her eyes, thinking. “Why?”

“I have no idea, but it’s crystal clear he doesn’t know the first thing about his brother. At least…” she hesitates, “not as he is now.”

“So… he’s thinking Lucifer hasn’t changed at all since his Rebellion?”

“Not quite?” Charlotte shrugs a little. “He seemed utterly confused by Lucifer trying to help me avoid going back to Hell, and it’s like he’s in complete denial about these souls arriving, like he simply _can’t fathom_ that Lucifer wouldn’t want innocent souls suffering needlessly. It’s like… it’s like he believes every single horrible thing that those fire-and-brimstone pastors preach about Lucifer.”

“Oh, I quite assure you, he _does_ believe them, Charlotte. Where do you think those stories came from, after all?” Lucifer appears in the room, wet hair slicked back and fastening the final button on his waistcoat. “He may not have a way with words like yours truly, but the ones he chooses to share _always_ have strategic value.”

“So if he’s a strategist, what’s his plan?” Chloe wonders.

“Hell if I know.” Lucifer chuckles at Chloe’s automatic eye roll, and even Charlotte groans. He continues, voice dripping with bitterness. “We haven’t spoken since I was cast out, and really even for awhile before that. Once he got an inkling of what I was planning to ask for, he shut me out entirely. Michael is the Sword, immovable. The staunch defender of our Father. Couldn’t be seen to associate with troublesome _me._ ”

“His loss, then.” Charlotte pipes up matter-of-factly, and Chloe’s heart wrings painfully at the confused, disbelieving look on Lucifer’s face as he registers that sentiment. “I just wanted you to know he’d been asking questions, and didn’t seem to like the answers he was getting from me.”

“Did he give you any trouble, Charlotte?” Lucifer’s voice isn’t quite a growl, but it’s not far off.

“No, Lucifer,” her slate-blue eyes warming with her smile. “He seemed frustrated when he couldn’t dig out any terrible stories from me, and left quite soon afterward.”

“Ah, Charlotte,” Lucifer’s smile is a little sad. “I don’t deserve your defense of me.”

“Objection. Speculation.” Charlotte demurs cheekily.

“Sustained.” Chloe affirms before Lucifer can argue.

“Dearie me, double-teamed yet again.” Lucifer grins mischievously. “I must remember not to entangle myself in disagreements with you and your tribe-mates, Detective, because I don’t stand a snowball’s chance in, well. You know. Would you like to have a seat, Charlotte? We have some quite comfortable new furniture to try out whilst we have a chat.”

“Yes, I noticed! I like the new look, though I notice your… graphic commentary has gone missing.” Her grin matches his, Chloe rolls her eyes at the pair of them, and the long conversation that follows sidetracks to more pleasant topics. After a while, Lucifer drifts from the dialogue to his piano, and starts to play softly, giving the women some time to chat alone. After sharing stories about the Tribe, Trixie and Dan (mostly Dan, Charlotte is _very_ interested to know how he’s doing, and toys with her bracelet during the entire discussion), both women turn their attention to the devil at the piano, letting the music wash over them. Lucifer doesn’t notice their scrutiny, lost in the feel of the keys under his skilled fingers, the quietly swelling melodies pouring from the strings in a tide of emotions that defy words, but resonate solidly within the three of them.

After a time, the music drifts to a natural stop and Lucifer comes back to himself slowly, surprised to find them watching him with fond smiles on their faces.

“Terribly sorry, ladies. Did I… miss something?”

“Not a thing.” Charlotte answers easily. “It’s just… really nice to see you relaxed like this. You seem happier.”

“Trust me, I owe it entirely to the exquisite present company.” He smiles affectionately and rests his gaze on Chloe just long enough for her to blush before moving on to Charlotte, whose answering grin is knowing. She stands and crosses to the piano with a ready excuse to be on her way. Chloe watches as she brushes a nearly maternal kiss to his forehead, and finds herself wondering if any remnants of the Goddess cling to Charlotte’s soul, or if it was only the shared experiences since Charlotte’s return to Earth from Hell that forged such a strong link between the two.

Chloe stands as well, and walks with Charlotte to the door, as Lucifer goes back to playing softly at the piano.

The taller woman gives Chloe a warm embrace at the door, and whispers in her ear. “I know I don’t need to tell you to take care of him, but… Take care of him, okay?”

“We’ll take care of each other. We always do” Chloe grins. Then, a bit louder, “See you soon, Charlotte?”

“As soon as I can manage.” The door closes behind her, and it’s just the two of them again.

Chloe turns back toward the piano and sits next to Lucifer on the bench, watching as his fingers move hypnotically across the keyboard. She feels her own fingers start to move in her lap, remembering old finger exercises from her brief time having lessons, and Lucifer notices.

“Would you like to play, darling?” He removes his fingers from the keys, making a welcoming gesture for her to do so.

“I… can’t really remember how.” She worries her bottom lip between her teeth, wondering how her newly hatched idea will be received. “Will you teach me?”

“Detective, really?” She is rewarded immediately by the dawning of a smile bright as the sun on his face. “You want to learn?”

“Well, I did have a few years of lessons before- a _very long time ago_.” She clarifies, “But… hey, when else am I going to have the time to re-learn? And it’s something we can do together, even when we’re back home.”

“Home.” He closes his eyes and draws in a deep breath, his fingers bringing forth a half-remembered melody. “If you desire to learn, or _re-_ learn, it would be my utter pleasure to offer instruction while you are here.”

“While _we_ are here.” She nudges his ribs with her elbow, and he continues to play. _What is that song? It’s familiar…_

“Yes, of course.” He smiles softly, but keeps his eyes on the keyboard.

“Lucifer, you don’t think you’re coming home, do you?” She has to force the words past the sinking feeling of dread settling ominously in her chest.

His eyes flicker to her face and back down again so quickly she can barely register the movement, and his hesitation to answer speaks volumes. “I honestly don’t know what to think, Detective. We won’t know anything for sure until Dad makes time in his _busy schedule_ to see me and pass his sentence. Since he’s an omnipotent, all-powerful immortal, time isn’t typically something he’s inclined to worry about. You can’t just wait around here with me forever, Detective… as much as I adore your company, and as _grateful_ as I am to have you here with me- you really shouldn’t be here, darling.”

 _“You_ aren’t allowed to try to convince me to leave, Lucifer, that was part of the deal.” She keeps her voice light, teasing.

“Oh, that wasn’t an attempt to convince you, Detective- that was simply stating bald fact.” He holds out a hand to her, and she takes it without hesitation. “I am delighted that you’ve chosen to hole up with me for the time being, but it may be prudent to put a time frame upon it? Time has a habit of slipping away here, and you _do_ have a life to return to on Earth.”

_“So do you, Lucifer.”_

“Yes, well, that remains to be determined, doesn’t it?” A crooked smile flits across his lips. “Are you willing to discuss a time frame for your return home?”

“How do we even measure time? Charlotte told me while you were in the shower that I’ve been here a week already, which seems crazy…”

“Well, I did warn you that once we became intimate I would want quite a lot of uninterrupted time with you… Granted, this is not exactly what I had in mind, but I can’t deny it’s been quite enjoyable so far.” His salacious smile and accompanying wickedly arched eyebrow shakes a deep belly laugh from her, and he joins in. Once they settle, he continues. “Charlotte visits about once a week or so- it’s not exact, but if we’re measuring weeks I suppose we could use her as a time candle.”

“So you want me to- what, set a number of Charlotte’s visits to pass, then I go back without you? No. Not happening, Lucifer. I’m _not leaving without you._ ” She hears the pitch of her voice go up as she feels herself tensing.

“Ah, don’t make promises you might not be able to keep, love.” His voice is gentle, but he doesn’t argue beyond that. “I’m not trying to get rid of you, Chloe, and I will try not to bring this up again, but my Father certainly has the capability to keep me here for as long as he likes, and if he intends to do so for eons, well, I’d rather you be able to actually _enjoy_ your life on Earth before you get sent to the Silver City for eternity.”

“I’ve promised to let you call for Amenadiel to come get me if I need to leave. I don’t want to set some kind of… Doomsday Clock on our time together, okay?” She shivers and leans into his warmth, and he brings an arm around her shoulders. Her voice hitches as she continues, “I just… I just want to be here with you. Please don’t send me away, Lucifer.”

He leans his cheek against the crown of her head, pulling her close against his side. “I would never send you away against your will, Chloe, unless you were in danger. But I want you to know that when- if- you choose to go, I will support that decision whole-heartedly.” He chuckles as she shakes her head against his shoulder. “Very well, then, Detective, would you like to start your lessons now?”

“Yes, please.” She sniffles a little, and he presses his lips to the top of her head, then gently starts her fumbling fingers on some beginning exercises.

***********************

As it happens, Lucifer is a wonderful teacher. At least, he is with Chloe. She’s a quick learner, and his patience with her is boundless. He manages to manifest a fair amount of sheet music for her work with (one of the perks of having a nearly eidetic memory, and a passion for music of all types), and they settle into a fairly enjoyable routine together. Between piano lessons, reading, coming up with creative activity regimens (they found a few more ticklish spots for Chloe when she let Lucifer use her as a weight-lifting bar), and simply enjoying each other’s presence, the time passes smoothly. They work their way through disagreements and a couple of quite dramatic outright shouting matches, but the enforced closeness and reluctance to cause each other pain gives them a strong incentive to work them out rather than avoid the roots of the problems as they have so often in the past.

Father Frank visits again, and Chloe gets to hear about his joys in finding his family here in the Silver City. He tries again to thank Lucifer for whatever he’s done for Connor, and Lucifer again gently redirects the conversation. The two friends sit at the piano and play a lively duet punctuated with much affectionate teasing and trash talk while Chloe watches them, grinning so widely her cheeks start to hurt. Finally, Frank asks to play alone, and Lucifer playfully stretches a hand to Chloe with a bow in an invitation to dance. The bed is folded away and there’s just enough floorspace to accommodate a dancing area. Frank starts with a cheerful swing song, and Chloe giggles as Lucifer delightedly leads her in energetic twirls and turns, gently flinging her away then bringing her securely into his embrace as the song ends and immediately segues into a slower song. Chloe rests her cheek against Lucifer’s chest, and they simply sway together with their arms wrapped around one another. The song fades into silence and Chloe feels Lucifer sigh against her, his lips pressing into her hair.

“Thank you, Frank, that was very thoughtful of you.” Lucifer speaks over Chloe’s head. “Would you like me to play for awhile?”

Chloe can hear the smile in Frank’s voice as he declines and stands to leave, wishing them a good day. The pair remain standing on the impromptu dance floor, lightly swaying in the silence left behind.

*********************

Raphael appears again some time after Charlotte’s fourth visit, a wide grin stretching his lips.

“Lucifer! _Two_ more!” He crows once he’s inside the room. “One is from the first loop you took me to! The other scenario I didn’t recognize from the ones you presented to me, so it must have been one you did before- something about a suffering animal?”

“Ah yes, I know the one.” Lucifer’s eyes light up in satisfaction at the tidings, and he melts back into his reading chair. “Gratifying news indeed, brother, I appreciate your efforts to keep me apprised.”

Raphael’s eyes roam the room, face falling as he takes in the changes. “Where is Chloe? Did she decide to go back to Earth, after all?”

“Hardly. Though not for lack of my trying to talk sense into her.” Lucifer chuckles. He gestures toward the faint sound of running water can be heard behind the closed bathroom door. “Here to check on her well-being, then?”

“I did intend to make sure she’s adjusting well to her new environment, yes. But brother, I do have some more news for you, as well.” A little of the excitement bleeds from his demeanor. “Michael has been visiting your friends in the Silver City and asking questions of them, apparently about you and your time on Earth.”

“Yes, Charlotte warned me about that.” Lucifer smirks. “Evidently our straight-edged brother wasn’t happy when Charlotte didn’t have any good dirt to provide on me. I can’t think what intent is behind the effort, though…”

“Father is conducting the interviews on these two newest arrivals as well,” Raphael adds, settling into the chair next to his brother. “I plan to approach him when he finishes about setting the time for your interview, so we can get back to work on these loops. I’ve finished recommendations for more of the scenarios you provided me, and I intend to speak to your Dr. Martin soon to collaborate.”

“You intend to approach Father- on _my_ behalf?” Lucifer’s eyebrows lift in surprise. “When did you become a martyr, brother?”

“I don’t intend to stand idly by this time, brother.” Raphael’s hazel eyes meet his own with determination. “If I can help you, I intend to. The work you are doing is important, and you certainly don’t deserve to be castigated for it.”

“Raphael, I –“ He’s unable to finish his thought, eyes dark and wide with surprise. His brother smiles warmly at him.

“I lost you once, Lucifer.” He reaches out and places his hand gently on Lucifer’s forearm. “I don’t intend to do so again.”

Lucifer’s mouth works as he searches for a response. He startles as the door to the bathroom opens, releasing a cloud of steam and the Detective into the room.

“Raphael! Is it time for my scan?” She greets the archangel jokingly.

“It is. And I also had some news to bring for my brother. How are you settling in?”

“I think we’re doing pretty well, overall. Learning new things. Spending quality time.” She flickers a smile in Lucifer’s direction. “What news do you have?”

“I was just telling Lucifer, _two_ more souls have ascended, and our Father is conducting the interviews.”

“That’s fantastic!” She crosses the room and leans over the chair to bestow a hug upon Lucifer’s shoulders. He leans back into her embrace and she drops a kiss into his wavy hair, murmuring into his ear, “Lucifer, did you ask him if he has any idea what Michael’s been up to?”

Her partner nods slightly. “Raphael was also just letting me know that Michael has been asking some questions of my few friends here. He’s seemingly trying to gather evidence of all my evil deeds I’ve perpetrated while on Earth.”

“Ohh, I see.” Chloe’s voice is the epitome of concern. “Did he find out about the Chewbacca contestants you directed to Dan’s phone? Or the stolen pudding cups? Oh no- Lucifer- did he find out about that time you put the black paint on the eyepiece of Ella’s microscope??”

Lucifer starts to snicker halfway through her recitation, and by the time she finishes, with the mock-horror thick in her voice, he’s giggling outright. The sound of his laughter makes her start chortling, and Raphael watches nonplussed as the pair feed off each other’s laughter until they’re howling with mirth and can hardly breathe. The moment one would start to settle, a mere glance at the other would set them off again with fresh gales of laughter until they’re both holding their sides, leaning against one another to remain upright and even Raphael starts to chuckle along, though he has no idea what they’re laughing about.

Finally, with careful breaths and even more carefully _not_ looking at each other, they rein in their self-control. Chloe perches on the arm of Lucifer’s chair, leaning into his shoulder.

“Charlotte told me he seemed frustrated when she had nothing ill to tell of me. I can’t think of anything useful Delilah or the good Padre would be able to impart, if Michael is looking for damning evidence against my time on Earth. Most of the worst bits seem to be common knowledge, since they’ve involved either family, or Cain.” Lucifer’s brows draw together, and his eyes close as pain washes over him. He wipes his hands on his trousers, feeling again the hot slickness of Uriel’s blood washing over his hand holding the blade, of Cain’s. The dark emptiness that had flooded through him as his Mum’s light poured through the rent he had made in space and time to a new universe, granting her the opportunity to start afresh, freedom from her ex-husband and all her previous mistakes. A warm hand brushes his cheek and he leans into the contact, keeping his eyes closed as he nuzzles into it. “Beyond those incidents, though, I can’t think of anything he can glean that would interest Father. The _only_ time I’ve broken one of His rules in recent history is when I… when I killed Cain.”

“Well then brother, let Michael waste his time searching.” Raphael’s grin spreads, and the conversation moves on to other topics.

************************

 _Ugh, these humans are useless_.

Everyone he had questioned had been utterly thrilled to meet Lucifer’s twin brother, had expressed hopes that all was well with their family, and simply fawned over the fact that he was finally back from someplace called “Florida”. He had been asked to pass along hopes from nearly all of them that he would come back to work soon. Apparently, Lucifer’s cover story was that he had been attending to a “family emergency” somewhere deeply unpleasant.

 _Not a lie, of course. Oh, no, the Morningstar doesn’t lie. And it’s not as though these mortals could comprehend the truth, so this was close enough._ Though where this “Florida” place came into play, Michael could not understand.

He approaches one of the humans he had purposely saved for last, hoping that with their closer association with his fallen sibling they would have more damning information to share.

“Miss Ella Lopez?” He calls out quietly, “May I have a word with you, please?”

“Hey, Lucifer!” Her face lights up in greeting and she starts toward him with arms extended. “You’re back? That was fast!”

Michael fends off her embrace by extending his left hand in a human gesture of greeting and she stops, tilting her head like an inquisitive bird.

“Hello Miss Lopez, it is lovely to meet you, I am sure, but I am _not_ ‘Lucifer’. My name is Michael, and as you may have already surmised, he is my twin brother.”

Ella’s jaw drops open, and her eyes widen in shock. “You’re Michael. The _archangel_ Michael, Saint Michael? And you’re Lucifer’s _identical_ twin. Dude, no _way_. How has he not told me he has a TWIN! This is SO COOL!”

_Ah, so this one actually believes him. Interesting. Perhaps she will have some useful bits of intelligence on his time here, then._

“Yes, well. I am indeed the archangel Michael, the Sword of God. I am here on an information-gathering mission regarding my brother.” _Maybe this won’t be as helpful as I’d hoped._ “What can you tell me about the evils wrought by the Adversary during his time here on Earth?”

“Evil?” Ella sputters, taking a step back from the archangel. “You’re his _brother_ , shouldn’t you know that Lucifer doesn’t have a bit of evil in him?”

 _This human has a close relationship with Samael. Of_ course _it’s defective._ Michael sighs inwardly. He had hoped he wouldn’t need to use his talent, but it is warranted.

“Tell me. What is it you fear about my brother?” He stares intently at the human before him, drawing her buried terrors to the surface by force of will.

“I…” she begins, eyes widening, “I’m really scared that the Big Guy isn’t going to let him come home again! We _need_ him here, he’s like… a brother to me. And Chloe is so _sad_ without him, he just _has_ to come back!”

“I…see.” Michael blinks, nonplussed. _A lost cause, then. Pity._ “How is it that you know the truth of divinity, Miss Lopez? It is not something that is safe for humanity to know about.”

“Oh, that was an accident.” Her eyes remain locked on his, the words spilling out without filtration. “I was there when Lucifer was saving Chloe from a kidnapping by a demon, and the demon popped up from the dead and attacked him with a knife. I saw his wings pop out to defend Chloe, and then I made him answer a buttload of questions for me once we got the piece of the knife out and he wasn’t dying anymore.”

“Oookay…Elaborate, please.”

Ella shares the abbreviated story of Lucifer’s leaving Earth to protect them all from demon incursion, then his return to rescue Chloe, his injury, and subsequent designation of an overseer for Hell, with plans to supervise.

“Hmm. Thank you for your time, Miss Lopez, you have been most helpful. Do you know where I may find Daniel Espinoza?”

“Uh… no. Sure don’t.” Her eyes flutter and she shakes her head quickly, backing away further and placing her worktable between them. “Nope, Dan’s not in today, I don’t know where he would be.”

Michael nods, and in the next moment he’s gone. Ella blinks at the sudden breeze, then pulls out her phone to text Dan.

**_Dude, Lucifer’s twin brother is looking for you. I don’t think he likes Lucifer very much._ **

**_An archangel is looking for ME?? Why??_ **

**_I dunno buddy, he asked me to tell him about Lucifer’s evil deeds, and then he did something like Lucifer’s desire thing but he asked me about my fears? Scary shit, man. Wanted to give you a heads up- he didn’t look too pleased that I KNEW, so… maybe play dumb?_ **

********************

Dan stares at his phone, horrified. An archangel was hunting for him, to interrogate him about his sometimes-friend, the devil.

 _If abuelita could see me now…_ He feels his heartrate kicking into overdrive and his breathing getting shallow, and he starts incorporating some of the techniques Linda had taught him about trying to manage panic attacks. He pulls in a deep breath and holds it. Releases it slowly then forces another deep breath. He pulls up another message thread on his phone, and sends off a quick text to Amenadiel.

**_Hey buddy- you busy? I think your brother Michael is looking for me._ **

**_I’m at Linda’s. Do you want to come to me, or should I come to you?_** The response is instant, and Dan feels better immediately.

**_On my way. Thx._ **

He sends Ella a text letting her know he’s going to be with Amenadiel, and gets a cheerful thumbs-up response from the lab technician. Dan palms his keyring off the hall table and bolts for his car.

********************

Daniel hadn’t been difficult to find. Michael knew from his discussion with the first redeemed soul that the human was friends with his eldest brother. When the human wasn’t at his dwelling, the first place Michael looked was at the dwelling of his brother’s human mate.

_And isn’t that an interesting development. I don’t know why Father hasn’t intervened here._

But that isn’t Michael’s problem. Remy had given up that particular fight, and he had enough on his hands with figuring out what havoc his evil twin had been wreaking during his time here. He had been incredibly stealthy about it- Michael hadn’t been able to find a trace of his brother’s machinations, which only made him more determined to dig deeper. 

When Gabriel had come to him wishing to discuss his current thoughts regarding their fallen brother, Michael had become concerned. Gabriel had detailed his conversation with Amenadiel and his human regarding Samael, who now prefers the name Lucifer. Michael snorts softly to himself, _as if the traitor deserves to be able to choose._ _That was the reason for his fall, after all- he and his wanted_ choice _. Like Father's little humans._ Amenadiel had always been Father's right hand, following orders unquestioningly until Samael had somehow pulled him under his influence. And now Gabriel is second-guessing himself, and when Michael had come to collect Samael for his interrogation with Father, he found _Raphael_ with him! Well, he certainly wasn't going to stand by and let Samael corrupt _more_ of his brethren. The Sword would defend his Father's children, even if it meant casting his brother down again. No matter how agonizing it had been the first time. 

************************

_"Brother, Father has given humanity a new gift!" Samael had appeared in Michael's quarters, practically quivering with excitement._

_"Oh, really?" Michael's voice is dry, uninterested. "I don't know why you and Father are so very interested in those creatures- they hardly live long enough to be at all interesting."_

_"It's true, they don't live very long..." A little of his brother's effervescence fades at his remark. "but they're such a creative race! The things they do with the time they have, Michael- if you watched them for a bit, you would see for yourself."_

_"I have better things to do, Samael._ Your _primary duties as Lightbringer may be complete, but_ my _duties are ongoing. The army's training never ceases, and I must keep them ready to defend Father at all times."_

_"Defend Father?" Samael scoffs, "What in Heaven could he possibly need defending from, brother? Take the afternoon off and come meet some of the humans with me. I can introduce you to-"_

_"No, Samael, I am far too busy. Go... do something. Just, go." He catches sight of his brother's disappointment from the corner of his eye as he turns back to his training plans, but doesn't acknowledge him any further._

_*_

_"Samael!" Michael barrels through the always-open door of his brother's quarters. "What in Heaven have you been doing with those humans? Arael just reported he found you in the garden with them-"_

_"Well, I would have invited you, brother, but you made it very clear that you weren't interested in getting to know them at all." His twin smirks at him, and he doesn't like it, this distance between them. "You told me to go do something, so... I did. Well... some- ones, anyway."_

_"Arael says they're denuding his plants and attaching the leaves together to form garments! And that he found you rutting with them like beasts?" The disgust in his voice is thick, and Samael snickers. "What are you trying to do here, brother?"_

_"First of all, sex is_ fun _, you should certainly try it sometime if you can ever get over your disgust of them as a species, of course." Samael rolls his eyes at his stodgy brother. "Secondly, they saw my robes and admired them. It's not my fault they decided to try to make some clothing of their own."_

_"You know how protective Arael is of that garden, he's petitioning Father to have the humans removed from it entirely!"_

_"Well, that seems a bit of an overreaction, truly. What's a few leaves?" Samael's face is pinched in confusion. "Arael told me they grow back once they fall."_

_"I don't know but the male, Adam, has placed all the blame for the damage squarely upon you."_

_"Bah, he's just envious that Eve enjoys my company more than his." Samael sneers, "I can't help it that he falls asleep immediately post-copulation without seeing to her enjoyment."_

*

_"Michael? Brother?" Samael's puzzled voice drifts through the closed door of Michael's quarters. Their doors have never remained closed to one another before, the rooms always recognizing the eagerness for their counterpart's presence. "Why have you closed your door to me? Have I angered you?"_

_The hurt in the voice nearly softens Michael's determination, but he sets his jaw and hardens his heart. The Sword cannot give way, and if Samael will not listen to reason, then he needs to cut ties now before he gets dragged down with him._

_"Go away, Samael, you are no longer welcome in my quarters." He keeps his voice steady, firm with resolve._

_"Brother? What is the meaning of this?" The voice on the other side of the door is plaintive._

_"I've heard about your planned rebellion, Samael. I've tried and tried to talk sense into you, and you refuse to listen." Michael's voice becomes louder, impassioned, but he doesn't allow the door to open, though it trembles on its hinges. "If you cannot see sense, then you will face the consequences. I cannot stop you from your ill-advised venture, but I refuse to be punished with you. If you go through with this, I claim you no more as my brother. I have no twin."_

_“Brother, I- you cannot mean this-“_

_“Then stop this madness. Talk to our brethren that are following you and set them back on Father’s path. Come back to us.”_

_“I… I cannot. This is… too big, too important. We deserve to be allowed to choose our own paths, brother. We deserve this freedom.”_

_“Then we are brothers no more. You will find no foothold here, Adversary. Be gone.”_

_He hears Samael's voice catch in a sob from the other side of the door and a noise as though he has slumped to the floor, but he speaks no more. Michael moves closer to the door, pressing his ear to it to hear more clearly the soft sounds of his brother's distress as he wills the door to remain latched in place. Eventually, the breathing evens and he hears him struggle back to his feet. The shuffling of feet lingers for another few moments, until finally he listens to footsteps fade away down the corridor. Only then does he allow himself to slump against his side of the door, his grief flowing down his cheeks in cold tears._

_The brothers don't meet again face to face until the battle the day of Lucifer's trial._

**************************

Michael stands on the stoop and raps his knuckles on the door. Gabriel had told him about this custom after his earlier visit to Amenadiel, and it had already come in handy when he had visited the redeemed souls he had interviewed in the Silver City. 

The door opens and Amenadiel stands unsmiling in the doorway, seeming to fill it entirely.

“Michael.” His brother’s voice is flat, unwelcoming. “What brings you here?”

“I need to speak with Daniel Espinoza regarding Samael.” Michael tries a smile, but it doesn’t reach his eyes.

“Dan has agreed to speak with you, brother, but I will remain present for the interview.” Amenadiel’s voice holds no room for negotiation.

“The human sets terms for the archangel?” Michael asks dryly.

“This is _my_ stipulation, not Dan’s.” Amenadiel clarifies, crossing his arms over his chest. “I will not have you using your fear-mongering against him, he’s already been through enough because of celestial issues.”

“Oh?” Michael’s interest is peaked. “Samael really did some damage to this one, hm? I’m glad I didn’t give up my pursuit after Miss Ella Lopez, then.”

Amenadiel casts his eyes skyward as though asking for patience and steps to the side, allowing his brother to cross the threshold. “Lucifer is _not_ evil, Michael. I don’t know how to convince you of a truth you are steadfastly refusing to see.” The elder brother leads the way into the sitting room, where Dan sits nervously fidgeting on the couch. Amenadiel crosses the room to sit beside him, gesturing for Michael to take the chair across the table.

“Wow. Uh, you really are identical to Lucifer, huh?” Dan’s eyes widen in surprise at his own words, as though his brain-to-mouth filter has suddenly decided to malfunction.

“Unfortunately, Samael and I do share a face, yes.” Michael lets the subject drop. “What can you tell me about the evils Samael has wrought on your world, Daniel Espinoza?”

“Evils?” Dan is genuinely surprised that he can really only think of one thing that might even be considered an evil. “I mean, the only thing I can think of where he truly went off the rails was when he broke a perp’s back. But… even I can see a little bit of, well, at least _hints_ of justice in that. The guy was a seriously bad guy. Murderer – cop-killer, even- human trafficking, who knows what else. And he’s still alive and in jail now, but… Lucifer did that. He’s annoying as hell. I blamed him for Charlotte dying, but it wasn’t his fault, really, it was Pierce. He killed Pierce, but that was self-defense. He, uh… he steals my pudding, and pranks me every chance he gets. He doesn’t take anything seriously..."

Michael’s face has gone from expectant to frustrated as Dan continues to talk. “This is useless information. Punishment is well within Samael’s purview, provided he does not take human life. We are already aware of the Cain incident. There _must_ be more you are not telling me!” These last words were said in an ominous growl, and Dan shrinks back into the couch.

“Brother, _listen to what you are being told._ ” Amenadiel leans forward, catching the archangel’s eye with a warning glare. “How many humans have you interviewed? A dozen? A hundred? How much of Lucifer’s alleged ‘evil’ have you wrung from them?”

“…Nothing.” Michael breathes. “I have failed to uncover a single plot. They must be woven too deeply to see-“

“Now I see why Lucifer was always so irritated with me,” Amenadiel rumbles in frustration. “when I continuously failed to see him as he is.”

“What do you mean, brother?” Michael asks, intrigued despite himself.

“Do you have further need of Dan, Michael? I am certain that he has other things to do than listen to our family issues.”

“The human can go, he clearly has no useful information to impart.”

Dan stands so quickly he nearly stumbles, and clasps Amenadiel’s shoulder gratefully before bolting from the house. Amenadiel turns back to his brother, and wishes he were speaking to Lucifer instead of Michael. He takes a breath and lets it out, inwardly begging his Father for help in trying to heal this rift.

“When Lucifer was cast down, I thought the same as you did, as you clearly do now.” Amenadiel begins. “That there was something rotten in him, that he was wrong, _evil_ to speak and act as he had.”

Michael nods, and waits for his brother to continue.

“Every time I would hunt Lucifer down when he had escaped his punishment to come up and cavort on Earth, he would always seek pleasure. Either of the flesh, or drink or drugs. He would seek to lose himself in debauchery and luxury. Often I would find him among humans, learning from them or teaching them, but always enjoying them- not harming. When I appeared, he would always grouse and banter, but would never offer to fight- not once. I always attributed it to cowardice, and I enjoyed wielding my power as the Fist over him. I… am not proud of my behavior, brother. I would drag him back to Hell, and he would stay until his next escape and the entire process would repeat.”

“He kept you quite busy for eons, brother.” Michael comments quietly.

“He did.” Amenadiel smiles ruefully. “But he never did anything other than escape his responsibilities in Hell. The only time he _ever_ fought me was the last time he escaped, when he cut the deal to allow him to stay as long as he wanted. Do you know why?”

Michael shakes his head. He’s been very careful to avoid as much news and gossip about his twin as possible. Amenadiel gives him the short version of Lucifer’s first days in LA.

“He was happy to just work with me while enjoying his time topside, until I called him evil to his face.” Shame flits across his face. “I couldn’t even understand why he got so angry, why he was suddenly willing to throw his plan- which was _working-_ out the window. I mean… of _course_ he was evil, he’s the devil! …Or so I thought. For millennia.”

“Of course,” Michael agrees, and Amenadiel frowns at him.

 _“No_ , Michael, you’re still not listening.” His brother leans forward, as though proximity will enhance understanding. “Lucifer isn’t evil. He _punishes_ evil. That is why he’s so relieved that these Faultless souls are finally making progress toward Heaven. Those souls aren’t evil, they’ve only been tainted by it. They don’t deserve their punishment, don’t belong in Hell, and he’s been trying to help them since the dawn of time- but he didn’t know _how_. He couldn’t understand until he was really able to connect with humans here, on Earth.”

“You’re trying to tell me that _escaping_ his punishment is what allowed him to finally do his job?”

“I’m saying,” Amenadiel sighs dispiritedly. “that being allowed to make real, emotional connections with humans here is what allowed him to understand what kind of help these souls needed, and being _back_ here has allowed him to seek out appropriate methods to help them on their path to Ascension.”

“So he should just be allowed to stay. To do whatever he wishes?” Michael’s eyes narrow, his breath coming faster as his fists clench at his side. “He _rebelled against Father_. Our siblings _died_ because of him! He killed Uriel himself!”

“He doesn’t deny any of that, Michael. And Uriel… he still suffers for Uriel, and you already know that story, for I told you myself what happened. You know he issued a command to his followers that weapons were not to be used in his rebellion. Some of them disobeyed, but you can’t hold him responsible for that.”

 _“Oh, can’t I?”_ Michael snarls, as he leaps to his feet, pacing. He’s rubbing his crooked shoulder, and with the snapping sound of air releasing from bone he painfully unfurls his wings. “Let me show you just what I can hold him responsible for!”


	27. Chapter 27

Amenadiel has seen Michael’s injury before, of course, but he’s always been very careful not to look too closely. The right wing is clearly still painful, if marginally functional. A ragged, raw-looking scar mars the skin over the area the radius and ulna had shattered under the entanglement of Lucifer’s chains- the covert feathers never having grown back. The rest of the feathers along the leading edge of the wing are brittle and crooked where the chains had slid down the wing as Lucifer’s plummeting weight dragged the links down the length of the extremity. He holds it mantled, the edges of the nearly-black primary feathers dragging the floor as though tucking it close or spreading it fully is difficult. It’s obvious that no one has groomed them recently, feathers are twisted and gnarled out of place. Amenadiel remembers the anguish of watching his own feathers wither and fall like autumn leaves, and doesn’t let his upset show on his face as his agitated brother continues to pace.

“I hold him culpable for _this_ ,” Michael hisses, his voice full of cold venom. Serrated blades are twisting in his chest, and he would do anything to make them stop. “For ignoring my warnings, for blatantly disobeying our Father, for daring to cling to _me_ as I meted his righteous punishment, for trying to drag me down with him!” His voice increases in volume and rancor as the litany of wrongs grows. “I _blame_ him for forcing me to choose between my Father and my brother! Between my duty and my… my…”

“Your other half?” Amenadiel suggests quietly, and suddenly the malignity leaches from his brother like air from a ruptured balloon. The archangel folds in on himself, wings mantling around him as he sinks back into the chair. Nothing emerges from the trembling cone of feathers for a timeless instant, until finally,

“Yes.” The response is so soft that Amenadiel doesn’t respond, thinking he’s imagined it.

“Yes, brother, my other half. I had to cut it, cut _him_ , away from me, and he has been gone for so long now, and the wound will not heal. Just as my shoulder, and my wing will not heal. It bleeds, and I cannot staunch the wound.” The tormented words pour from him now, though the wings are still held protectively around him so Amenadiel cannot see his face. “I must… there _must_ be a plot here for me to uncover, Amenadiel, because if there is not… if I was _wrong_ about him all those eons ago, if I am wrong about him _now_ \- how can I justify the despair and agony I’ve put us all through? How can I- he would never forgive me.”

“Michael,” Amenadiel begins carefully, “have you tried speaking with Lucifer at all? Have you been to see him since you took him to the Silver City?”

“Of course not,” The bundle of feathers gives a watery scoff. “I have far too many things to do, to make time to visit a detainee.”

“Yet you can make time to interview dozens of humans about his time here on Earth?” Amenadiel allows a small smile to cross his lips, since his brother is still buried in his wings like an embarrassed fledgling. “Michael, you know Lucifer doesn’t lie. You could solve this mystery in far less time by simply having a conversation with him.”

“Perhaps.” The archangel clears his throat and the wings slowly creak and snap as he furls them back into the ether. “There is still one human I should interview before I return to the Silver City, one Chloe Decker. I am given to understand that she has been very closely associated with Samael for the past several years.”

“Why didn’t you just ask her when you went to retrieve Lucifer? She told me you spoke with her before Lucifer and Raphael returned-“

“The woman asleep in his bed? _That_ was Chloe Decker?” Michael asks, incredulous.

“Mmhm, Father’s Miracle.”

 _“She_ is the miracle you were sent to bestow?” Michael’s eyes grow wider, his tone aghast. “How in Heaven did Lucifer manage to find and corrupt her? You _allowed_ this?”

He’s knocked out of his indignance by Amenadiel’s wry snort of laughter.

“Settle down, brother, clearly we have more to discuss.”

Michael gets taken on a whirlwind tour of the past four years with Lucifer and Chloe, from Amenadiel’s point of view. Chloe’s immunity to Lucifer’s powers, her positive influence on everyone around her, perhaps _especially_ their wayward brother. Their glacially slow back-and-forth progression to the relationship that Michael got a brief glimpse of when he took Lucifer from Earth. He saves the soul bond information for last, and that seems to render Michael speechless. For a little while, anyway. Once he finds his tongue again, he can only say:

“Samael has a soul bond. With a _human._ ”

“Repeating it a fourth time won’t make it any less true, Michael.” Amenadiel chuckles. “Raphael told me he’s never seen a soul bond in an angelic soul before, but it is unmistakable. Chloe and Lucifer are bonded, and both of them are _incredibly_ stubborn. Keeping them apart is going to be a fierce battle, should you choose to try.”

“It… appears I will need to speak to Samael, after all. But first, I should find and speak with this Chloe Decker.”

Amenadiel shifts in his seat and sends a quick prayer to Lucifer. The exchange is quick, and Michael doesn’t notice, too caught up in his own whirling thoughts.

“If I may make a suggestion, Michael?”

“Hm?”

“When you speak to Lucifer, do not call him Samael. He doesn’t like being reminded of the time before he was cast out, when he was still “of God”. He chose the name Lucifer from his title as Lightbringer. Doing him the courtesy of respecting that choice could go far in cooling any antagonism he may or may not feel toward you.” The eldest angel smiles at his younger brother. “And whatever you do, don’t make _any_ threatening gestures toward Chloe. Lucifer loves her beyond all reason, and will not tolerate harm, or threat of harm to her person or loved ones.”

“I will consider this advice. Thank you, Amenadiel.” Michael nods, forming his plan as he speaks. “Can you tell me where I can find Chloe Decker?”

“As it happens… I can.” Amenadiel smirks, “But first, I have a few more things to tell you about Chloe.”

*********************************

_‘Brother, we may have a situation.’_

Amenadiel’s voice echoes inside Lucifer’s head, and he groans in vexation.

_‘What is it Amenadiel? Quickly, please, you really do have the most atrocious timing…’_

“Lucifer? What’s wrong?” Chloe’s panting voice whispers in his ear, fingernails digging into his shoulders at his sudden stillness.

“I’m so sorry love, I’ve got my bloody brother in my head- can we hold this for just a moment?” He flexes his hips against her and she gasps, then laughs softly in his ear.

“Archangel problems…” then she subsides, moving her lips slowly along his throat.

_‘Michael has been on Earth interrogating your friends about you, trying to uncover an evil plot. I think I may have managed to finally talk some sense into him, but he wants to talk to Chloe, and you. Should we get her back to Earth, or have him speak to the two of you together?’_

“Oh, bollocks.” His breath hisses from him in frustration. “My dickhead twin wants to speak to us.”

“Does he know I’m here?” Chloe tenses around him, causing him to groan again, for a more pleasant reason this time.

“No,” Lucifer gasps against the skin of her shoulder, “But Amenadiel’s asking if we should sneak you back to Earth before Michael finds out you’re here, because he’s apparently coming to speak to me, but he wants to find you first.”

“No way am I leaving you here alone.” Chloe’s arms tighten around him, and his reflexively mirror the action. “Tell Amenadiel to have him just come here, and we can all talk together.”

Lucifer growls, and Chloe can’t tell if it’s from the conversation, or the fact that she just ran her fingernails up his spine.

“You seem to have caught me at a weak moment, darling,” he whispers in her ear. “As it happens, I agree with you, as I have no desire to leave you alone with him.”

 _‘Alright, brother. Chloe refuses to leave, and I’m not comfortable leaving her unprotected with Michael. Direct him here, if you will. And please, get_ out of my head. _’_

He senses Amenadiel’s amusement as he severs the link, and knows he’ll be able to delay Michael long enough for them to be ready for him in plenty of time.

“Now, Detective,” he murmurs, rolling his hips against her, “Where were we?”

*************************

Lucifer breathes a silent thanks to Amenadiel for delaying Michael’s arrival. They’d even had enough time to shower and dress, and Chloe’s piano exercises plink into silence when the slight rap at the door announces the archangel’s arrival. Lucifer had been hovering near the piano, and the muscles in his neck and shoulder coil with tension as he crosses the room to answer the door. He finds himself grateful that he’s had little notice for this meeting, reflecting that he hasn’t had time to work himself into a righteous anger at his twin’s obstinate obtuseness. Between that and the extremely pleasurable activities of the past few hours, he’s able to answer the door calmly. The too-familiar face on the other side of the door is slightly pale and drawn, as though he’s recently received bad news. Lucifer knows that look far too well.

“Hello, Michael.” His voice is dry, but not hostile. “Do come in, won’t you?”

“Hello. Lucifer.” Michael adds the name belatedly, but Lucifer’s eyebrow creeps up in acknowledgement of his preferred name. “Yes, please. I think our brother has informed you that I wish to speak with you and Miss Chloe Decker?”

Lucifer steps aside and allows his estranged sibling to enter his quarters, the door trembling in his hand with Lucifer’s mental struggle not to slam the door shut in his brother’s face. If Michael notices, he chooses not to comment as he steps inside, eyes roving the room.

“It looks much like your dwelling on Earth,” he observes, and Lucifer makes an assenting noise. The brothers cross the room, keeping a respectful distance from one another, and Lucifer settles into one of the comfortable chairs, leaving his twin to stand or sit as he wishes. Chloe leaves the piano to come perch in Lucifer’s chair with him, as Michael sinks into the other. “Greetings, Miss Chloe Decker. Thank you for agreeing to speak with me.”

“Apparently, refusing to see the Sword of God isn’t the done thing, even if he _did_ essentially kidnap your partner and hold him in solitary confinement.” Her tone is cold, and Michael respects the bravery contained in this fragile human shell.

“It appears his confinement has been less solitary, of late.” Michael comments with a wry smile, “Amenadiel informed me about your Bond, and about the fortunate discovery of the contents of the ring that allow you to visit. For what it’s worth, you have my apologies. I had no idea about the Bond, but I have been led to understand that extended separations from your Bonded can become painful. I am… glad that you have been able to avoid that discomfort.”

“Yes, well.” Lucifer leans into Chloe, his arm wrapping around her waist as he feels her tense against him. “As… sincere… as I’m sure your apology is, can we get on with your interview, Michael? Or is it an interrogation?”

“Merely an interview. I am given to understand that you’ve held to your truth-speaking ways, at least.”

“Lucifer doesn’t lie.” Chloe hisses at his twin, and he tightens his grip on her hip. She’s so tense under his hand that he’s afraid she’ll launch for his brother like an angry feral cat.

“So I am aware, Miss Decker, my brother Samael was the same. But Lucifer is not- quite- Samael, and many things have changed in much less time than has passed since I knew Samael.” It was a calculated risk, bringing up Samael in spite of Amenadiel’s warnings, but Michael thought that perhaps in the context of acknowledging the changes, it might reflect on his willingness to listen.

“Ask your questions, Michael,” Lucifer’s tone is wary, expression purposefully bland. Michael knows the look- his twin intends to answer his questions without engaging in conversation.

 _Well, that’s quite all right, answers are what I need right now._ _Because if I’ve been… mistaken…_ Michael mentally shakes himself from that thought path. He can’t afford to be distracted. Not now.

“All right. Tell me about Hell.” It’s not- quite- a command, and Lucifer hesitates only a moment before he complies with the strongly phrased request.

“Hell is… unpleasant. It’s difficult to explain to one who hasn’t experienced it directly. Well, of course the ones who _have_ experienced it directly never need to have it explained…” Lucifer pauses for a moment, eyes closed as he gathers his thoughts and Michael waits patiently. One does not become a master strategist without cultivating self-control, after all. “The atmosphere distorts everything around you- voices, time, perception. Whispers travel for miles and normal speaking voices fade out in mere paces. The oppressive heat feels like a physical weight upon you, grit-laden breezes fan the flames of the sulfur flats and sizzling embers and ash constantly rain down without ever seeming to accumulate anywhere. The magma sea ebbs and flows over jagged obsidian shores. Basalt columns form walls that house the doors of the damned souls, with narrow twisting walkways between that make it impossible to see for any distance so anyone traveling the corridors must constantly be on watch for ambush. They stretch quite literally forever, broken only by areas used for other, more specific tortures. The burning sulfur flats provide most of the light in Hell, so everything always has a tint of blue. The acid pits, the freezing plains, the fields of famine. It saps the strength from you if you let it, so your walls need to be high, and thick.” His arm tightens around Chloe, and he can feel her trembling against him. He knows that she has wanted to, but she hasn’t asked because she didn’t want to make him remember.

“Hell is visceral. It feeds on your own despair and loneliness. The screams of the damned embed hooks in your entrails and try to pull them out of you. There are no insects there, but there is an ever-present background buzzing, as though just around the next corner there is a corpse swarming with flies. It smells of burning meat, or rotting flesh, or aged offal. The air is stagnant and metallic, and coats your tongue like old blood after a while, and the water reeks of sulfur. Food tastes like ash and anything liquid has the slick oily film on the surface.” He pulls in a deep, shuddering breath and he’s reminded that he’s not currently _in_ Hell when Chloe’s lips brush his temple.

“The loops are infinite, and varied. Tailored specifically to each soul’s guilt, and endlessly repeating those moments over and over into eternity. There are chains everywhere in the corridors, but I truly think those are just because the demons seem to like the sounds they make. The only doors we really need to latch are the rejects from here- the ones that fail to feel their own guilt and so need to be contained and have tortures devised _for_ them.” Lucifer opens his mouth to continue, but Michael interrupts.

“That will do, for the time being. Tell me of your so-called Faultless souls.” Truth be told, Lucifer’s description of Hell deeply unsettles Michael. He imagines being imprisoned in such an environment for eons upon eons, and thinks he might go mad with the weight of it. Such a bleak description, given in a matter-of-fact, nearly bland tone makes it impossible for Michael to discount it as anything less than the absolute truth.

“You’re already familiar with the issues the Faultless are facing, Michael.” Lucifer’s tone is slightly raw, now, betraying some irritation. “What specifically do you want to know?”

“I want to know how you’ve handled them.”

“Not nearly as well as I’ve wanted to, or I would have been sending souls your way long before now.” His raspy half-laugh is less self-deprecating humor, and more misery given voice. “Some have been there since the beginning, Michael, and _nothing_ I did, or said, or showed them made the slightest difference. They didn’t make any _sense!_ Why would they damn themselves over something they had no control over, a choice they didn’t even make?” His voice swells, becoming raw with the emotions he’s trying hard to contain. “Your second Ascended soul was the first Faultless I identified, and I was utterly _useless_ to her for… forever! Nothing helped, until I finally remembered, until I understood what it was to love someone so deeply you would give anything to keep them from further harm.”

***************

Chloe listens to Lucifer speak without interrupting. Her eyes threaten to spill over with tears she refuses to shed as she absorbs his description of the effects Hell has on its dwellers, that it had on Lucifer for the warped eons he’s spent reigning its depths. She keeps her encouragements small, not wanting to broadcast her supportive gestures to Michael, but she can feel Lucifer responding to them in the lessening of his tremors, the regulation of his breathing, and the way he lightly rests his shoulder against her. She moves her hand along his back and shoulders, occasionally touching his hair or brushing his temple with her lips to remind him that they’re together, that she’s here with him.

She watches Michael’s face as he listens, and if she didn’t know how to read Lucifer so well, she never would have been able to glean any of his reactions at all. She sees enough to realize that Michael, for all his emotionless exterior, is deeply disturbed by what he is hearing. She reads it in the minute crinkle of his brow that smooths immediately, the tiny tilt of his head, the twitching of his fingertips that instantly stills. His eyes remain flat and unreadable, but there are enough mannerisms that the twins share that Chloe can read what Michael is suppressing quite well.

He definitely doesn’t like hearing what his brother has been through.

_It’s as though he had no idea. Honestly, did he really think Lucifer was down there bathing in the blood of virgins and eating human hearts on a kebab?_

Of course, that thought is quickly followed by a burst of shame. _You didn’t have any trouble believing it, when you were working with Kinley, did you Chloe?_

*

 _“So...you don't bite the heads off of children?”_ _  
  
“No, of course not!” He laughs uncomfortably. “I detest the little creatures. And I'd certainly never put one in my mouth.”  
  
“Oh.”  
  
“Anyway...” He moves closer, settling into the chair with an encouraging smile, “I'm glad you're curious, Detective. I was wondering when we'd get round to this conversation, so... if you have any more questions, I'm all ears.”  
  
“Well, Pierce... You killed him. So what was he? Like number nine... million? I mean, do you keep track?” She narrows her eyes, watching him closely.  
  
“No.” His head tilts, as though trying to see where this questioning is going. “Pierce, or, as I tried to tell you at the time, when you wouldn't believe me, was actually Cain... was the first human I've ever killed. And truth be told, he wanted to die. Well, most of his immortal life, anyway.  
  
"What about Hell?"  
  
“Ah. Right. That's what this is about, is it?” He chuckles, relieved. He leans forward briefly before settling back with his hands clasped in his lap. “You probably want to know who's down there. Well, many may surprise you. Jim Morrison, for instance. Gary Coleman.”  
  
“No, no. Hell. What's it like down there? All those people you tortured. Did you enjoy it?” The relief vanishes and is replaced by something very near betrayal, which is quickly veiled, but thinly. As though he’s trying to draw a ragged curtain around himself to protect himself from unwelcome eyes.  
  
“It was a job, Detective. Something I was forced to do.” His eyes are earnest, honest. He forces a chuckle, “Gosh. Someone's been reading Dante's Inferno.”_

_*_

Chloe comes back to the present and tries to defend herself, to herself.

 _But once I was around him again, I remembered_ him _, I remembered everything good about him, his kindness, his dorkiness, his complete and utter obliviousness…_

 _Yes, Chloe, but you only went back because Kinley_ sent _you there. If he hadn’t… would you have kept running, or hidden yourself and Trixie away? Because Michael… Michael has the look of one who has hidden away and tried very hard to see things as other than they truly are._

She finally has to acknowledge that arguing with oneself is useless, because even when you win, you lose.

********************

It already feels like an eternity has passed since his twin entered his quarters, but Lucifer knows that it’s most likely just because he’s talking about Hell. Even _thinking_ about the place seems to warp time.

“When I returned to Hell after my time in Los Angeles, I had a better understanding of humans than I ever had. Being able to not only interact with them, but to develop friendships,” he glances warmly at Chloe, “relationships- I learned so much that I’d never had any inkling of before during my briefer visits. Doctor Linda has worked _very_ hard to teach me about emotions and interpersonal relationships, and though I’m sure I’ve been a rather large disappointment overall, she managed to drive some small amount of sense into me.”

Chloe snorts softly beside him, and he quirks a small smile in her direction. He’s sure he’ll be hearing more on that subject later.

“So, when I returned to Hell and found my old friend Delilah there, and a Faultless… I twisted myself in knots trying to help her see that she should not be carrying that guilt. I made a few modifications to her loop to show the scenes as they _were_ , not as her sense of guilt interpreted them, and added some of her sessions with Doctor Linda, with a little Doctor wisdom thrown in from some of my sessions as well. I was astonished when my next visit to Hell resulted in news of her ascension, but it was such a relief! We investigated the empty loop, and after I sent Amenadiel to come and check on her here, I visited as many of the other loops as I thought I might be able to tweak without help before finishing my duties there and heading back to Earth to plan further.”

“Yes,” Michael interjects, “about your duties – I’ve heard you’ve designated a steward for Hell’s day-to-day workings. How does one go about choosing a Duke of Hell?”

“Well,” Lucifer exhales cheerily, “it’s all about finding the right candidate! Someone with eons of experience in managing tediousness, intimate knowledge of all the major sins, loads of experience with fighting and killing, and also a near-complete lack of remorse for actions taken. Add in the unprecedented perk of being able to escape one’s hell loop, and there’s potential for success. Of course, he’ll need close monitoring, so if you intend to hold me here for any length of time it may be wise to send someone to check in.” Lucifer smirks at his brother. “I know you’d much rather have me back in Hell sooner rather than later, though, so perhaps if you could just talk to Father about getting on with this farce of a trial rather than having me cool my heels in here…”

He feels Chloe’s intake of breath beside him, and he realizes too late he shouldn’t have laid that barb where she could hear it. He knows that she’s trying to remain optimistic and he’s been very careful _(‘til now, Dad damn it)_ to try not to burst that bubble for her, while letting her enjoy their time here together. He also knows, however, that there is virtually no chance at all that he’ll be allowed to resume his life on Earth now that his Father has taken a personal interest. Suddenly he’s exhausted, and something must have broken through his carefully cultivated mask of nonchalance, because Michael stands abruptly from his chair.

“You are right, S- Lucifer.” He shifts his weight for a moment, before edging toward the exit. “I should speak with Father about beginning your trial. I still have more questions for you, and for Miss Decker, but I have the most pressing information I needed, for now. I will return once I speak with Father.”

Lucifer only nods, and Michael sees himself out. He lingers outside the door for a brief moment before stretching the tightness in his warped shoulders and striding away.

**********************

Lucifer listens to the footsteps receding, wondering why Michael didn’t simply fly.

 _Surely his wing can’t be injured that badly – he crosses the dimensional planes without trouble. But then- with an injury such as Amenadiel describes, his flight certainly can’t be very graceful, and Michael’s pride likely wouldn’t stand for being seen as anything less than graceful in flight._ He snorts softly to himself. _And they talk about_ my _pride…_

Chloe raises an inquiring eyebrow at his snort, and a tired grin claims his face. He reaches up and pulls her down, sliding her off the chair arm and into his lap, securely tucked into his arms. “Just thinking, darling. Everyone speaks of my pride, but hardly anyone realizes that my brother is every bit as prideful as I ever was… possibly even more so. Not something you’ll ever read about the great Sword of God.”

“Ah, the perks of being a celestial insider…” she teases gently, and he chuckles into her hair. “Are you all right? I know the subject matter was difficult for you.”

“Mm, yes, well. Hell is never an easy subject.” He confirms, and her arm tightens around his back. “I’m actually surprised he didn’t press further. Normally he’s much more aggressive in an interrogation.”

“How many times- you know what. Nevermind, please don’t answer that.” Chloe shakes her head against his shoulder. “He didn’t like what he heard, Lucifer, it made him deeply uncomfortable listening to you.”

“Of course he was uncomfortable, he’s spent the last countless millennia preferring to either pretend I don’t exist, or spreading malicious slander about me down on Earth. Having to be in the same room with me was bound to be an _uncomfortable_ experience.” His voice drops to a growl at the last few words, but his arms around her are gentle and she can feel him trembling underneath her.

“No, I don’t think that’s it, Lucifer.”

“Please, Detective, he’s my brother. Disowned or not, he literally has my face.”

 _“Exactly,”_ she agrees. “He _does_ have your face, Lucifer, and I could read him, even with that carefully blank expression. When was the last time _you_ were accurately able to gauge how you felt about something?”

“Well, I managed to figure out that I’m hopelessly in love with _you_ ,” he scoffs.

“And it took you _how_ long to do that, exactly?” She teases, her fingers tracing random patterns on the back of his neck. She doesn’t let him change the subject, though, and refuses to be sidetracked. “Michael was unsettled by what you told him about your experience with Hell. He didn’t like hearing about how it affected you.”

Lucifer isn’t convinced, but he doesn’t want to argue about it. He stands from the chair, lifting her onto her feet and pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. “You should finish your practice, Detective.”

******************

More time passes, and the longer they spend sequestered together, the more difficult it becomes for Chloe to think about… after. She desperately wants to believe that God wants his son to be happy, like she would for Trixie… But she knows Lucifer fully expects to be condemned back to Hell once his Father completes his “interview”.

She has started reading through Lucifer’s journals with his express permission, which are an odd mix of non-sequitur commentary on the Silver City and his siblings and complex notes about designing stars, galaxies, and nebulae. She skips over the latter, but typically enjoys reading the former. It’s clear to her that while these are the ramblings of a much younger and vastly more innocent person, the seeds of her Lucifer were very clearly there.

 _He’s still fundamentally the same person,_ she thinks to herself. _That sharp wit, the mischief, the drive for justice. Now it’s all just been honed. Or… forged._

Well, that’s accurate. Forged in white-hot fires of hatred, fear, and neglect and quenched in the spilled blood of a hundred thousand wounds.

She reads, absorbing Heaven through the thoughts and words of his younger self, and as she progresses (the technical entries regarding constructing the universe take up far more space than his occasional observations, so her advancement through them is fairly rapid) she can nearly feel the restlessness emanating from the pages. Samael’s skills as a judicator and arbitrator were rarely needed in Heaven, and his duties with creating stars had been completed literal ages ago. His entries became infrequent, and unhappy. His siblings largely avoided him, apparently fearful of being thought to seek his favor in any judgements they may be involved in, so it became increasingly evident that he was spending large swathes of time alone in his explorations of the city and surrounding areas.

_Even before he was cast out, he was outcast._

Her heart squeezes uncomfortably in her chest, and she’s so very glad that she had scraped up the courage to come and stay with him. _He’s been alone far too long._

She comes to the final volume, and glances over the loft railing to Lucifer at the piano. He’s softly playing that song again, and it’s so familiar she can hum it, but she can’t place where she’s heard it. She can see his lips moving, but if he sings it’s too softly for her to hear from her position in the reading nook. She opens the cover, and she can tell that his edition isn’t full. In fact, it appears to be blank except for the first few pages. She curls her knees to her chest and begins to read.

_“Michael has turned away from me. He refuses to question Father’s intention to deny us the free will he allows his other creations, his humans. After becoming acquainted with Eve, and- to a lesser extent- Adam, I can’t get the thought out of my mind- What must it be like, to be able to choose one’s path? To be able to freely decide what one will do with the time given, to follow one’s desires completely?_

_Michael thinks it is folly to ask for this freedom, he would much rather follow orders for all his existence. I cannot. I will not. There is no reason Father should deny us this benefit, and others here agree with me. If we go to him together, he will see sense, surely! Once he does, Michael will come around. I’m sure of it. He surely didn’t mean it when he said that.”_

_*_

_“Two hundred of us will go before Father to petition for freedom of choice for ourselves. Michael hasn’t spoken to me, or acknowledged me in any way since the night he refused me entry to his quarters, but I still hope we can mend this rift between us. We’re twins, fashioned from the same matter. A silly difference of opinion can’t keep us apart.”_

_*_

_“Father has denied our request, and the others are enraged. I am not pleased, of course, but I think if we adjust our approach, we can still make Father see sense. Sandalphon has become more vocal of late, inciting the others to actually raise arms against father and our siblings… I cannot allow this to happen, and have forbidden use of weapons against the Host. We will not sink so low as to draw the blood of our brothers and sisters. Fratricide is beyond a last resort and we still have so many options open to us that I am confident we can successfully navigate.”_

_*_

_“It has happened. Reckless, impetuous Sandalphon has struck the first blow. He has mortally injured Cazmael and I am unable to see a way to avoid a full-fledged war now. How did this happen? All I asked was that we be granted the freedom to walk our own paths, and now this… Perhaps Michael is right. I have become the Adversary. I know this. No matter what passes tomorrow, I_ will not _bear arms against my brother, whether he claims me as such or no.”_

The next pages are blank, and Chloe blinks back tears for the younger archangel that had such high hopes, and had a torturous path ahead of him on his way to become the man downstairs. She turns one more page and finds a final note, written in the flowing script she recognizes as Lucifer’s.

_“You deserve the truth. Now you know all of me, Chloe.”_

She gently closes the tome, and stands, barely managing to return it to its shelf by stepping up on the lower one. She stretches her arms above her head and tenses, feeling her muscles loosen as she relaxes, swinging her arms a little after sitting still so long. She can still hear Lucifer playing the piano as she descends the curved staircase to go sit beside him.

He stops singing to himself as she approaches but continues to play softly. Chloe can’t take the mystery of the haunting familiarity of the tune anymore. “What song is this? It sounds so familiar, but I can’t place it…” Instead of answering he continues to play and begins to sing, The rich tenor of his voice barely audible.

_“Is this home?_

_Am I here for a day or forever?_

_Shut away_

_From the world until who knows when_

_Oh, but then_

_As my life has been altered once_

_It can change again_

_Build higher walls around me_

_Change ev'ry lock and key_

_Nothing lasts, nothing holds_

_All of me_

_My heart's far, far away_

_Home and free”_

“Broadway Disney, really?” With the lyrics she recognizes it, and she forces a tiny smile. They had taken Trixie to see this version of _Beauty and the Beast_ when she was smaller, and she had been entranced.

“It’s a bit on the nose, wouldn’t you say Detective?” He asks quietly, not looking up from the ivory keys.

"Maybe, a little. I'm not here because I made a deal. I'm here because _you're_ trapped here, and I love you. You don't deserve to be alone."

"Detective, you finished my journals, did you not?" His fingers still on the keys, no longer playing. "You _know_ now-"

"I knew you before I read those, Lucifer," Chloe interrupts, "I love and appreciate that you trust me enough to let me into your head back when you were only Samael- but even more than that I love and appreciate that you let me into your head _now_. That we can talk things out, no matter how difficult they get." She moves her left hand to capture his right, and they sit together for a moment before he dares to lift his gaze to meet hers. 

"Chloe," he says softly, and her breath catches in her throat as it always does when he uses her name. "I... I don't know what my Father's decision will be, what he will do with me."

"I know." Her eyes hold his impossibly dark ones. "I know, Lucifer. But for now, I'm with you, and I'm _home._ "


	28. Chapter 28

Michael flees from his twin’s quarters, disquieted by his conversation. He had sensed no falsehoods, and there were certainly no embellishments in the bare harshness of the description now scorched into his mind’s eye. He fists his hands in his hair, pulling in frustration as he turns a corner in the corridor, eyesight blurred and nearly runs headlong into his brothers.

“Michael!” Raphael exclaims, gripping his elbow to help him maintain his balance as he Reads his precarious state of mind. “What’s wrong?”

Gabriel, who had been walking alongside Raphael, merely stares with his wide, deep-set blue eyes. To see the Sword in such disarray, something momentous indeed must have occurred.

“Nothing is wrong, brothers,” Michael prevaricates, smoothing his hair back against his scalp. “I only- I was just- I’ve just left Samael’s- Lucifer’s quarters.” Raphael’s eyebrow lifts at Michael’s use of his twin’s chosen name, something he has steadfastly refused to do. The Healer takes in his brother’s disheveled state.

“Did you fight with him, Michael?” he queries, trying (and failing) to keep suspicion from his voice.

“What?” Michael asks, distracted, “No, of course not- I found out Miss Chloe Decker has been staying in his quarters and-“

“You didn’t- Michael, you didn’t remove Chloe from him, did you?” Raphael is aghast, and his head whips toward his brother’s quarters. He stalks closer to his brother, suspicion falls from his voice and accusation blooms in full force. “They’re _Bonded_ brother - a separation like this would be excruciatingly painful, and they’ve already endured it once when Lucifer left Earth for Hell!”

 _“No!”_ Michael cries, his voice ricocheting through the corridor, causing gentle Gabriel to flinch away. “No,” he repeats more quietly, but firmly, “I’ve done nothing of the sort, Raphael, I only wanted to speak with them.”

“You’ve not harmed them?” Raphael clarifies, still suspicious. “We were just going to see them, but if you’ve only just come from there, I would give them some time to… cool down… from your visit.” He casts a glance at Gabriel, who nods. “Will you come speak with us? I would hear what your discussion entailed.”

“I know about their Bond,” Michael sighs, and gestures with his left hand for his brother to lead the way. “Amenadiel told me when I went to Earth to interview the humans that are closest to Lucifer.” Raphael heads for his office, and the three archangels settle in for their discussion.

“Why were you talking to Lucifer’s human friends, Michael?” Raphael wastes no time in pleasantries. The sooner they finish this talk, the sooner he can go check and make sure all is well with Lucifer and Chloe.

“I was looking for evidence.” Michael admits, the fingers of his right hand rubbing together surreptitiously in his nervous habit. “Trying to uncover whatever evil plot Lucifer was devising while he was on Earth.”

“What did you find, brother?” Gabriel gasps dramatically, eyes wide.

“Nothing, of course,” Raphael scoffs derisively. “When has Lucifer _ever_ been one to plot and carry out grand plans? He has too much chaos in his nature to hold to a long-term plan, it’s one of many reasons his Rebellion never really got off the ground.”

“You are right, Raphael,” Michael admits. “There is no plot, and I uncovered nothing more than the punishments that fall within his duties and some harmless mischief. I spoke with Amenadiel just before I returned to the Silver City and our conversation took an unexpected turn.”

“Go on, brother.” Raphael gently goads him when he doesn’t continue. He can See the mental strain his brother is grappling with, and has a feeling it started with his conversation with Amenadiel.

“Our brother told me of Lucifer’s time on Earth, of the good he has wrought there, while helping Father’s Miracle. I saw for myself how warm a regard he has earned among the humans that are closest to him as I spoke with them, even in how they greeted me before I was able to inform them that I was not him. We spoke of many things, but he shared with me his own evolution of his relationship with Lucifer.” Michael gives a general idea of the conversation, then pauses and takes a deep breath, holding it for a moment before releasing it in a hiss. “After speaking with Lucifer and observing him with the Miracle, I have come to an unsettling conclusion, brothers.”

“And what conclusion is that?” Raphael asks cautiously. He glances sideways at Gabriel, who is gaping openly at Michael. Raphael can sympathize, seeing Michael in any emotional state other than bland is unheard of, but a flicker of hope flares in his chest that perhaps this entire situation can be salvaged after all.

“We were wrong,” the words escape his lips in a rush, nearly bleeding into each other in his hurry to expel them. _“I_ was wrong. About Lucifer.” His face flushes red, then pales. “Brothers, he is not evil, as I have believed since his rebellion. I have… wronged him greatly, and I do not know how to even begin to try to make amends.”

“Is this what you spoke with Lucifer about in his quarters?” The flicker of hope in Raphael’s chest roars into a bonfire, and his eyes light with it.

“No,” Michael’s voice is small, “I did not.. I don’t know how to approach him. I asked him… I asked him about Hell. And the ascended souls.”

“Ah,” The light in Raphael’s eyes dims a bit, “Yes, Hell is… bleak. Intimidating. I had the King of Hell himself at my side while I was there and I was still unsettled the entire time we were working. Did he… did you see his other form? Did he show you?”

“Show me?” Michael parrots, baffled. “What do you mean, his other form?”

“Lucifer carries… scars,” Raphael elaborates hesitantly, not sure how much to share. “He showed me, when I went to speak to him on Earth about his ascended souls. They are- extensive, and he has other changes that manifest also.”

“What in Heaven are you talking about, brother?” Gabriel pipes up, having managed to finally close his jaw for a moment and focus on the conversation.

“This is not my story to tell. Did Amenadiel talk to either one of you about his self-actualization theory?”

“Are you changing the subject, Raphael?” Gabriel accuses lightly.

“I am not. But- has he?”

“Is that his idea that we affect our own forms with our thoughts?” Gabriel ventures, after thinking for a moment. “I remember something he was saying when he first returned to the City after his time on Earth.”

“That’s the very idea, yes. Michael? Did you discuss it?”

“No, our conversation held other topics. Why?” Michael tilts his head, knowing that it must hold some relevance to their current topic or Raphael would not have introduced it.

“Lucifer was able to give me some very interesting evidence that it’s very real. He carries his scars from his Fall, but he can choose to show or hide them at will –“

“Scars?” Michael scoffs, his voice dripping with ancient bitterness. “The only scar he could carry is where I pressed my sword to his chin. His wings are perfectly healed, I saw them when I brought him back.”

“No, brother,” Raphael corrects gently. “There is far more under the surface, and it is as much from mental anguish as physical. I think we should discuss this in more depth later in regard to your own injury, or perhaps if you prefer, you can discuss it with Lucifer or Amenadiel.”

“My injury?” Michael is clearly baffled and Raphael moves the subject along, preferring not to discuss his theory for the reason Michael hasn’t healed in front of Gabriel.

“So you spoke to Lucifer of Hell and his Faultless souls, what did you ask of Chloe?”

“I… I did not speak to the Miracle. What Lucifer told me of Hell was difficult to hear, and I chose to end the interview there.” He struggles to keep his expression calm, but Raphael can See he is still affected. “I told them I would continue the interview at a later date, after I had spoken with Father about setting Lucifer’s trial.”

“Do you truly think Father means to give Lucifer a trial, Michael?” Gabriel asks tentatively, “Surely it will merely be an interview? Perhaps a re-evaluation? He won’t… you don’t _really_ think he will punish Lucifer further for helping these souls shed their unwarranted guilt?”

“I…” Michael hesitates, “I don’t know, Gabriel. I’ve never seen Father so angry as he was when he decreed Lucifer’s banishment. He has seemed calm enough when He has emerged from the ascended souls’ interviews, but He has not spoken to me of His intentions, only sent me to collect Lucifer and hold him until He speaks with him. I was… I was on my way to speak with Him when I ran into you two.”

“Well, then,” Raphael stands briskly, smiling. “You should be on your way to find Him, brother, and Gabriel and I shall go visit our brother. I am overdue for an evaluation of Chloe’s condition, anyway.”

“She has suffered no ill effects since her arrival?” Michael asks, curious.

“None,” Raphael confirms smugly. “That ring has a remarkable effect for her, but I suspect it can only protect her because of her Bond to Lucifer.”

“Hm,” Michael agrees. “Well, we have places to be, brothers. I shall speak with you soon, I am sure.”

“Quite soon,” Raphael grins. “Quite soon indeed.”

****************************

Chloe opens the door to their quarters and smiles warmly at Raphael before noticing the second angel in the doorway. If Raphael looks like a surfer, _this_ one looks like a cherub. Nearly white-blond wavy hair caps a pair of wide cerulean eyes set deep in a rounded face, complete with pinkish cheeks and a dimple on the left side of his mouth. “Raphael! Who is this?”

“Chloe Decker, allow me to introduce you to our brother Gabriel. Gabriel, Miss Chloe Decker is Father’s Miracle.”

“I will not miss being referred to as a miracle when we get home.” Chloe’s nose scrunches in distaste as she steps back and allows the two men to enter. “Hello, Gabriel, it’s good to meet you. Lucifer’s in the shower, he should be out shortly. Please, have a seat.”

“Greetings, Detective Chloe Decker! I have heard much about you from my brothers, and am pleased to meet you in person.” Gabriel inclines his head to her as she ushers them toward the sitting area.

“How are you feeling, Chloe?” Raphael queries as he settles into one of the chairs. His brother hovers nervously behind his chair, preferring to pace anxiously. “Any changes since I last saw you?”

“I’m feeling a bit like I’ve been locked in a room for nearly a year,” she replies quietly. “Albeit with the best possible company. I miss my daughter. And sunshine.”

“Are you ready to go back to Earth, Miss Decker?” Raphael murmurs, understanding that she wants to ensure Lucifer does not overhear their conversation. “You need only say the word, I know Lucifer would-“

“No, of _course_ not!” she shoots back indignantly, her stomach twisting at the mere thought of separation. “I would never just _leave_ him here alone. It’s only been a few hours for Trixie, she’s still at school. And it doesn’t seem to be costing me anything to be here. It’s actually been… surprisingly easy being here.”

“I confess, I find myself surprised that you two have managed to coexist so well in such tight quarters,” Raphael admits with a chuckle.

“Oh, we’ve had our share of fights,” Chloe offers, grimacing. “That’s normal for any couple, though. The enforced closeness has actually _helped_ build our communication skills with each other, strangely enough. We can’t hide from each other this way, and neither of us can bear seeing the other in pain. It’s an extremely effective accelerant for resolving issues quickly!”

“I would imagine so,” Raphael sympathizes. “Shall I go ahead and Read you while we’re waiting for him?”

“Scan away, Healer,” Chloe responds playfully, and drags the piano bench to face the other two chairs, sitting very still. “Gabriel, can I ask what made you decide to visit today?”

The nervous archangel stops pacing for a moment, bright blue eyes fixed on her. “I wish to speak with my brother… Lucifer.” Chloe notices Raphael’s small smile, and deduces that Gabriel has been instructed _not_ to call Lucifer by his old name. “I wish to see if I may make amends, as Raphael has.”

“That’s lovely to hear, Gabriel,” Chloe smiles at him encouragingly but makes no reassurances for Lucifer’s forgiveness. She has faith that he will hear his brother out, but for Lucifer actions always speak louder than words.

“I see no changes, Chloe,” Raphael blinks as he finishes his Reading. “At least, nothing negative.”

“Nothing negative is… good. Does that mean you _do_ see some kind of change?” Chloe asks nervously, glancing at the bathroom door, where the water has just shut off.

“Only that your soul has become even brighter during your stay here.” Raphael discloses cheerfully. “That’s most likely just your Bond working. The two of you are in constant close proximity, it’s not surprising that your Bond is settling quickly.”

“Is… that going to be a problem when we get back to Earth?” Chloe wonders. “I mean… when you asked me earlier if I was ready to leave, I got such a pang in my gut at just the thought of being apart from him – that can’t be healthy?”

“No, Chloe, it’s quite all right.” Raphael notices that Chloe very carefully says “when” and “we” when she refers to the time after Lucifer’s imprisonment is over. He chooses not to address it now, but silently vows to do all he can to help that outcome come into being. “It’s a completely normal stage for a young soul bond. Once it settles, you’ll be able to lead your usual lives, but you’ll be vastly more comfortable when you can see or speak to each other regularly. As long as you both choose to do so, of course.”

“As long as we -?”

“Brother!” Lucifer enters the room, straightening his cuffs and beaming at Raphael. Chloe turns in time to see his expression change as he notices Gabriel. “Ah, and Gabriel as well. Hello there, Amenadiel said you had been asking some questions about me.”

“Hello, Lucifer,” Gabriel shifts his weight self-consciously. “Yes, he and Dr. Linda Martin were very kind to welcome me into their home for a conversation. They both advised me to speak with you directly…”

“Ah, Dr. Martin is very wise indeed,” Lucifer drawls, sinking down onto the piano bench next to Chloe and taking her hand in his. “And I suppose Amenadiel has picked up a few useful bits of advice here and there from the close proximity. Well, go on then brother, satisfy your curiosity, ask away!”

“That… that is not why I am come today, brother,” Gabriel says quietly, emerging from his pacing behind Raphael’s chair to approach the bench. “I have spoken with your Ascended souls, and our brothers about you, and – and I have come to the conclusion that I owe you a profound apology, Lucifer.”

The name passes his lips this time without hesitation, and his unblinking blue eyes brim with sincerity as they meet Lucifer’s stunned brown ones.

“An apology?” Lucifer repeats, dumbfounded. His gaze slides sideways to Chloe, who nods her confirmation. “You’re apologizing.”

“I am. I do,” Gabriel stammers nervously, “I… when the Rebellion, and then Father’s Word and you were just… gone. I… I believed it, all the terrible things that the Host said about you, I believed it without questioning anything, and – that was unjust of me. As the Messenger I know how words can be used to mislead, and I didn’t even bother to look at the sources of what I was hearing. You did not deserve my inaction, Lucifer. It was my duty to find the truth, and I failed to do so. In doing so, I am afraid I have irreparably damaged our relationship, and… and I deeply regret it.”

Chloe holds her breath, not wanting to break the moment between the estranged siblings. Lucifer’s hand tightens on hers, and she wraps her other hand around it, squeezing back in support. She can feel how tense his body is next to hers, but his face is carefully blank, giving none of his internal turmoil away.

Lucifer’s mind is whirling. Amenadiel, he understands. Their newfound rapport has grown organically, through shared perils, relationships, and experiences. Amenadiel has never apologized to him for how he had been handled throughout the ages, but Lucifer never _expected_ an apology from his staid brother. Raphael’s apology had been unexpected but in the midst of Hell he hadn’t been able to process it, to give it the time of day; and honestly, he had disregarded it the next moment. Raphael’s support in retrieving Amenadiel for Chloe when Michael had taken him, and his subsequent visits and assurances of Chloe’s health while she has been here with him have gone a long way in proving his sincerity in the long months since their trip to Hell together. Now Gabriel? With nothing more than a few conversations?

 _Eons of screaming at the sky in the most futile attempts to be_ heard _, and nothing. Not a whisper, not a glimpse of a feather or a friendly word. And now… now that I’m on the cusp of likely being banished back into the abyss…_ Now _I suddenly regain some of my family? Really, Dad, this is beyond the pale, even for_ you.

He should be angry. He should be incandescently, malevolently furious at the entire situation. Millennia upon millennia of isolation, misery, and hatred are rattling the bars of their cages in his mind. And yet. And yet, Chloe’s hand is warm in his, supportive. He can feel Raphael’s friendly regard, sense Gabriel’s apprehension at the growing silence in the room, and all he can manage is a vague weariness. Perhaps the storm of his fury has finally been worn against the cliffs of God’s indifference. Perhaps Chloe and Dr. Linda have finally managed to help him move past it. Or perhaps he’s merely been isolated for so very long now that acceptance is a siren song he’s simply unable to resist any longer.

“Lucifer?” Gabriel’s tentative voice breaks through his reverie. “I _am_ sorry, brother. I should have… I should not have…”

“All right, brother,” Lucifer mutters heavily, “Your apology is appreciated. I can’t – I need to think more on all of this, but I am grateful for your coming to speak with me.”

“Should I – Would you prefer that I leave?” The hesitant question breaks through Lucifer’s lassitude, and his response is more like his normal self.

“Ah, brother, I am not so cruel as to deprive the good Detective of some novel company merely because of a small family matter.” Chloe snorts softly next to him, and he gives her a smirk and a wink. “Please, stay and chat with us for a while?”

Raphael settles back into his chair with the satisfied air of a cat with an entire bowl of cream as a timid smile stretches on Gabriel’s face and he takes a seat on the edge of the second chair. Lucifer leans forward, and Chloe leans into his shoulder.

“So, tell us Gabriel, what have you been up to lately? How is training Serimael coming along?”

And so the conversation begins.

*********************************

God emerges from the interview chamber with the latest Ascended soul with a satisfied smile upon His ageless face. He pauses when his son approaches resolutely.

“Father, we should talk.”

God’s smile widens, and he gestures for Michael to walk with him. Everything is going precisely according to plan. _Of course._


	29. Chapter 29

Michael follows his Father to his workshop, pausing at the threshold for his eyes to adjust.

The room is a vast area, swirling with the glimmering light of nebulae and the roiling darkness of emptiness. Odd, luminescent patterns drift here and there. Michael recognizes them as something akin to the calculations his twin used to note when he was designing something for their Father, but cannot make sense of them.

 _Samael would know what they mean,_ he thinks to himself wistfully.

“What is on your mind, Michael?” God asks gently. He has an idea what has brought His stubborn son to him at last. He _could_ know for certain, of course, but He has found over time that His existence is far more enjoyable if He tones down the omnipotence most of the time. So, while He can feel His Sword’s struggle, He looks forward to seeing which direction this conversation will take.

“Father, I have come to a realization regarding my brother, Lucifer.”

“Oh?” He prompts, hiding his amusement at His son’s hesitance. “What realization is that?”

“After interviewing the first Ascended souls, I visited Earth and spoke with the humans that are acquainted with him there. I have also spoken with Amenadiel and Raphael at some length.” Michael lifts his mahogany eyes to his Father’s silver ones, “All accounts indicate that Lucifer has perpetrated no evil during his time on Earth, at all. _None_ , Father.”

“None,” God agrees blithely. “Samael was never evil; why would Lucifer be, merely because he punishes those who perpetrate it?”

“But –“ Michael’s mouth gapes open, temporarily mute in his surprise. “But, Father, he _rebelled against you!”_

“Oh, really,” God sighs. “I’ve never understood my children’s need to call Samael’s demand a rebellion. His request was already in the works anyway, I just needed time to roll it out.”

“You – His – What?” Michael’s knees feel weak, and suddenly he’s very glad that his Father’s workshop is not entirely on the physical plane, so he is not in any danger of sinking to the floor in his utter shock. “Father, you banished him to Hell because of his demand!”

“No,” God corrects gently, “I sent him to rule Hell because he failed to control his followers, _who were exercising their free will in a matter that necessitated punishment_.” 

“I… Father, I don’t understand,” Michael’s tone is pleading. “All this time I was convinced that my twin was lost to darkness, that he was malignant, _anathema_ , the Adversary… I spent thousands of years warning humanity against him…”

“Yes. You did,” God concurs quietly. “Did I command you to do so?”

Michael’s silence speaks volumes.

“When I instructed you to take Samael to Hell, Michael, I had hoped that the two of you may reach an accord on the journey. At the very least, I had thought that once you laid eyes on the place that would be his prison that you might have shown him some good will.” God remarks sadly, “I failed to anticipate the… enthusiasm… with which you would execute my Word. It had not been my intention for Samael to spend so much time isolated from us this way, but once it was set in motion, I could not interfere.”

“But –“

“Free Will is something I had always intended for my children to have, but I needed to test it first, get an idea of what to expect before it was set loose on eternity.” God’s smile is wry. “I needed humans for my trial run of Free Will. Their life spans are short because I needed to speed the results of my studies, since I had already planted the seeds within all of you. I also failed to adequately anticipate Samael’s interest in humanity, though I _really_ should have seen that one coming. Of course the Will would be attracted to them, a moth to flame.” He adds that last in an undertone, but Michael hears it perfectly well.

“You’re saying we – angels- already _had_ Free Will when Samael demanded it?” Michael cries indignantly.

“Did you think he would have been _able_ to demand it, if he did not already possess it?” God replies, amused. “I needed you to follow My orders in the beginning, while we were all so busy creating, well, _everything_ , but afterward… My son, I would never want My children to be subservient to Me for all eternity. What kind of existence would that be for you?”

“Why have You not told us any of this before now?” Michael pleads stridently. “Why have You let us assume that – Father, Uriel is _gone!_ He.. he’s _gone.”_

“Yes,” God agrees wearily, “He is. Uriel paid a high price for his choices indeed, a price that even he, with all his talent at reading the patterns of the future could not have forseen. As Lucifer has for his, but they were _their_ choices to make, Michael. Once Free Will is seized upon, there is no turning back.”

“Why did You not tell us?” Michael asks again, more subdued now.

“Were you, by chance, paying attention when I tried to tell humanity what they should and should not do?” God asks His son lightly, “There were some stone tablets on a mountaintop… Some chose to listen, but many choose to disregard those that they did not like. That was part of the trial run. Trying to do the same with My children would have done just the same, so I stuck with only one edict for you: Never kill a human.”

“What about, ‘divinity and humanity should never mingle’?”

“Ah, no,” God smiles, “That wasn’t me, that was your Mother. She never really took to humanity, though she did manage to find at least one that she liked during her last stint on Earth…”

“Father… what do You intend to do with Lucifer? Why did You send me to retrieve him from Earth?”

“That is something I should discuss with your brother, don’t you think?” God suggests mildly. “I really should get that over with, though I understand he and My Miracle have been putting their enforced idleness to good use in strengthening their Bond. Bring him to Me, here, will you?”

“Yes, Father.” Michael bows his head

“And Michael?” God adds, as his son turns to go, “Take what time you need for any conversation with your brother before you bring him. Oh! Also, Miss Decker cannot accompany him here. Let’s… bring her a visitor, then send her home.”

****************************

Time in God's workshop is to time in Heaven as time on Earth is to time spent in a Hell loop. While only minutes had passed for Michael since entering the workshop, months had passed for Heaven.

He finds himself in front of Lucifer's chamber door again, listening to many voices lifted in laughter emanating from the room. He lifts his hand and presses it to the door, remembering the time when it would have opened to him with only the barest brush, and- he yanks his hand away as though burned. 

_The door had opened. What-_

He nudges the door open, peering inside to find Gabriel and Raphael comfortably sprawled on opulent cushions on the floor, laughing heartily at something Chloe had just said, judging by the rueful look Lucifer was giving her. He has never seen such a gentle expression on his twin's face.

"All right, to be fair, I _never_ said - oh. Hello, brother."

The laughter dies down as the rest of the occupants notice Michael's presence in the room.

"Erm... The door let me in?" He offers hesitantly, hovering in front of it.

"Yes, so I see, Lucifer muses. "Well, hardly any point trying to keep you out, I suppose. Raphael assures me you've no intention of harming the Detective, so... Welcome to my cell. Would you like a cushion?"

He opens his mouth to answer, and something firm and plush buffets his face. He catches it, and looks down at the grey velvet cushion in his hands, then over to his reclining twin's smirking expression.

"You really just attacked me with a _pillow_?" Michael asks incredulously.

"Attack, offer... It's all in the spirit of presentation."

"Hmm." Michael hums in amusement as Raphael quickly turns a sputtering laugh into a cough. He settles onto the cushion a polite distance from the rest. "I come bearing news."

Four sets of eyes focus on him simultaneously, two apprehensive, one interested, one challenging.

"Father has said that I am to take you to his workshop at the time of your meeting."

"And when will that be?" Lucifer asks laconically.

"Soon. I would... I would speak with you, brother, before we go?"

Chloe makes an aborted movement toward Lucifer, and he automatically reaches his hand out toward her. She takes it, threading her fingers through his as Michael observes.

"Gabriel, may I ask something of you?"

"Of course."

"Please go to the City and locate John Decker's soul and being him here. He and Miss Decker are to have a visit, then we are to see Miss Decker home."

"I'm not leaving Lucifer here." Chloe declares quietly, moving to press close to his side. 

"I know you would not, Miss Decker, but you cannot accompany him into my Father's workshop. Not even your ring would protect your mortal body there. My Father wishes to reward you for your loyalty with a visit with your Father before be sends you back to Earth."

She starts to argue, but Lucifer cuts her off, pulling her close. 

"Can we have a moment to discuss this, please?"

"Of course," Michael nods, standing and turning back to the door, motioning Raphael and Gabriel to join him. "We shall be just outside, when you are ready for us, simply open the door."

*********************

"Lucifer, you _promised_ -"

"I promised I would not try to persuade you to leave, and k have held to this, have I not?" He lifts his eyebrows in challenge. She nods reluctantly, and he continues. "This is not me, Chloe, this is my Father making an edict. I'm truly surprised, and more than a bit grateful that he's let you remain here this long with me. You must go, darling." He pulls her toward him and she resists, but it's less than half-hearted resistance and she folds herself into him miserably. 

"I don't want to leave you here alone." She whispers into his shoulder. 

"I know, love," He murmurs back. "I'll keep my end of the deal, I'll make sure that no matter what He has in mind for me, that I'll be able to return to you... Even if only to inform you of my sentence myself. I won't leave you wondering, I promise."

She looks up into his fathomless eyes, focused on hers with so much love, and she strangles a sob before it reaches the surface. She swallows hard, and manages to hold hard to her composure as she nods in resignation. Who can argue with God, especially when he won't even talk to you.

"My brave Detective," he holds her close, sighing into her hair, "I can't begin to tell you how happy I've been to have you here with me. You have truly been a blessing, darling, and I can't say I've gotten many of those in my very, very long life. I love you more than I can say, Chloe. I will always do so, for as long as I exist."

"I love you too, Lucifer, but I absolutely refuse to say goodbye to you." She pulls back to meet his eyes, her ocean blues flashing in defiance. "You're coming home to me, and that's all there is to it. That is the only option I will accept."

The corner of his mouth quirks upward. "I'll be certain to inform dear old Dad. He made you, so I'm sure he can guess what consequences will come of risking your ire."

She sobs a shaky laugh, and pulls him down into a desperate kiss, pouring everything she refuses to say into her lips on his, her fingers in his hair, and the heat between their bodies. When they pull back, their breathing is ragged and their foreheads rest together, sharing air. 

"Are you ready for them to come back?" He asks gently. 

"No." She mumbles petulantly, but she pulls away to open the door.

The three archangels have been joined in the hallway by Amenadiel, who is carrying Charlie in his chest harness again. 

"Well, at least you remembered the safety harness this time, brother! Does Linda know about this little field trip?"

"I... Sent her a text before we left. She knew I was on call with you when she left Charlie with me." The eldest angel shrugs his broad shoulders, and Charlie coos happily, waving his chubby, sticky hands at his uncles gleefully. Lucifer surreptitiously slides back a pace to avoid them, and Chloe stifles a sniffly chuckle.

"Why are you here now? Chloe is supposed to visit with her father before she goes home-"

"Yes, that's what Raphael said." Amenadiel confirms, "But I'm here to stand with you in front of Father. To speak on your behalf, if necessary."

"Brother," Lucifer exhales, "I don't know what to say."

"I know, 'Thank you' isn't one of the languages you speak, Luci," Amenadiel jibes gently, evoking a snicker from the devil. "Truly though, this is the least that I owe you, brother, for willfully misunderstanding you for so long." He reaches out and clasps Lucifer's shoulder warmly. He reaches to return the gesture, but Charlie reaches for him and he pulls his hand away quickly.

"Oooookay, that's enough of that stickiness, nephew." Charlie giggles and blows a raspberry as Lucifer winces away. "Are you sure you want to bring your offspring in front of Father?"

"Why not leave him with me, Amenadiel?" Chloe suggests, when Amenadiel hesitates. "He can hitch a ride home with me once my visit with Dad is over, and you and Lucifer can pick him up when you come home?"

"That is acceptable, thank you Chloe," Amenadiel nods slowly. "How soon is the trial scheduled?"

"Apparently, Michael has something he needs to say first," Lucifer recalls.

"Ah." Amenadiel glances at Michael. "Well, why don't we three go search for Chloe's father? If he's not in his loop it could take some time to track him down. Chloe, do you mind taking Charlie now?"

Chloe holds out her arms and wiggles her fingers in response, laughing as Charlie squeals and mimics her actions. Amenadiel unstraps his harness and buses a kiss on his son's cheek, then hands her the baby and the three brothers depart.

Michael glances at her apprehensively, and she takes the hint that he would rather not have an audience. She refuses to go far, but she can give them a semblance of privacy. "I'll take Charlie up to the reading book, shall I? Linda would probably appreciate it if I teach him some of those star formulas in your journals, yeah?" She shoots a glance at Lucifer, and he quirks a smile, nodding.

She ascends the stairs, and looks down at the two identical fluffy black crowns of hair visible from the loft, bent together in conversation, and settles in to entertain the burbling angel baby.

********************

"Well, go on brother, out with it." Lucifer sighs heavily. "What's so bloody bad that you didn't want an audience?"

"It's not..." He pauses. "I suppose it is bad, in a way. Sam - _Lucifer_. I'm sorry, you've always been Samael to me, but I know you left him behind a long time ago. I, I wanted to say that I was wrong to shut you out. That night, at my quarters. I was - I didn't know, I didn't understand, and I chose to turn away from you rather than try to understand, and... Lucifer, it _hurt_. And I know I hurt you in return and I'll never be able to make it up, and -" Michael is so upset that he can't articulate his thoughts clearly. He takes a shuddering breath and huddles into himself, and with a sudden rushing sound, his wings are mantled around him.

Lucifer emits a strangled sound of pain as he takes in the sight before him. Michael hadn't bothered to manifest his wings for their dimensional jump to Heaven, and Lucifer hasn't seen them since he was dangling below his brother by his chains. No more are the strong sure lines of his twin's shadowy grey wings. The right wing is ragged all along the leading edge, stemming from a ragged, raw pink scar where the bone has obviously only barely mended. The rest of the feathers are askew, twisted, broken, and bent as though they've not been touched in time remembered.

"Michael," he breathes, aghast, "I did this to you?"

"You didn't mean to, brother, I know that now." The feathery bundle in front of him twitches as he works up the will to fold them away, and Lucifer works his dry throat in an attempt to swallow away the acrid metallic taste in his mouth. "It was my fault. I... Misunderstood our Father's Word."

"You misunderstood?"

"Yes," comes his twin's voice, ringing with misery from inside his feathery cocoon. "Father told me, when I went to speak with him about your meeting. We... There is so much that none of knew, Lucifer..."

"What did he tell you?"

"That, that he had hoped by having me take you to Hell that we might reconcile on the journey, but instead, I..."

"Instead you decided to fling me like the universe's largest hammer throw?" He interjects dryly.

Michael's confused eyes appear amidst the scraggly feathers, and Lucifer utterly loses it. He starts to laugh helplessly, breathlessly. Chloe recognizes the laugh and anxiously peers over the railing. It's the same laugh she heard in Lux, when she had drawn her gun on her partner after finding that street preacher dead by where Lucifer had been sitting at the bar.

_"Lucifer Morningstar, you're under arrest." Her voice is firm despite the fact that words feel frozen as they fall from her lips, her gun unwavering despite being unwillingly aimed._

_"Come on, Detective. You can't seriously believe I killed that pathetic malcontent." His voice drips disdain for the corpse on the floor, for the entire situation._

_"It doesn't matter what I believe." But she knows that isn't true._

_"That's all that matters, Detective." His voice is soft, betrayed, and he starts to bring his hands down to his sides_

_"Put your hands in the air and surrender yourself."_

_That's when the laughter starts, that horrible, hopeless, mirthless laughter of a man with absolutely nothing left to lose._

_"This isn't funny, Lucifer."_

_"Isn't it?" He squeaks, the horrible laughter continuing to ripple from his throat, beyond all control. "I think this is the grandest joke that I've heard in all my time. The best part is it's on me!"_

_"Come peacefully. We'll go to the station..." A note of pleading has injected itself into her tone, if she can get him away from the others, she can get to the truth..._

_"No. We won't." The laughter stops, and now his eyes are dark, manic._

_"What are you doing?" She asks warily._

_"I'm accepting my role in all of this! All of humanity's sins are the Devil's fault, right? I mean, I thought you knew different, but I was wrong. You're just like all the others. So, why not add one more murder to the pile? His words send twisting knives into her gut, and she struggles to fix this situation._

_"That's not what this is, Lucifer."_

_"Come on. What are you waiting for? You wanted your bad guy. Well, here he is, gift-wrapped just for you!" He turns to the other officers surrounding him, starting to taunt them._

_"Don't take another step."_

_"You! Newbie." He gestures toward a young uni whose gun trembles visibly. "Come_ _on. Riddle me with bullets, so you can go home, drink an ice-cold beer, and feel better about yourselves!"_

_"Don't shoot him. He's unarmed." Chloe pleads._

_"Oh, you don't know that. Maybe I have a gun." He reaches for his jacket pocket ominously._

_"Hands in the air!"_

_"Do it!" He roars._

_"Don't!" She cries desperately as the officer pulls the trigger and smell of cordite and reverberation of the gunshot fills the room. Lucifer is gone.  
_

Chloe blinks back to the present, to that haunting laughter bursting from her partner.

"This is not funny, Lucifer," Michael says, in an uncanny echo of Chloe's flashback. 

"Isn't it?" He squeaks, still laughing, still echoing that memory. "It seems like a grand joke to me. We've both of us been carrying around scars for thousands of years that are _our own bloody fault!"_

Michael manages to furl his wings away. "Explain?" It's not a demand at all this time, but a request. Lucifer pulls in a deep breath and then another, gathering himself so he can speak coherently.

"How much do you know about Amenadiel's theory of self-actualization, brother?"

****************

Chloe breathes a deep sigh of relief when the hysterical laughter stops, and she risks another glance over the railing to see both heads bent together in discussion.

Michael squawks indignantly a time or two throughout, but the rest is unintelligible from her altitude. She occupies her time playing with the baby, and occasionally stealing glances at Lucifer while she can.

She's glad for Charlie to keep her mind occupied, because she's starting to get nervous at the thought of seeing her father again. Amenadiel had told her that he was proud of her last year, but... What if... That last time she saw him, she was a barely B-list actress whose most recent movie involved removing her bikini top. What will they talk about? Does he know about Trixie? Her failed marriage? Her relationship with the devil? 

The murmur of voices downstairs ceases, and she sneaks another peek over the railing. Her heart swells in her throat as she overlooks the two brothers clinging tightly to one another, gripping shoulders hard enough that the fabric at the shoulder seams is visibly straining. She fights back a quiet sniffle, and she sees Lucifer's eyes dart up in her direction. She pulls away from the railing, but he loosens his embrace a little, and Michael does the same. They pull away, a bit awkwardly, but she notices that when Lucifer gestures her to come downstairs they stand closer together than they had before.

"Everything okay here?" She asks lightly as she approaches them.

"As okay as can be expected, Detective." Lucifer smiles warmly at her, "Perhaps even a bit better."

Unsurprisingly, neither uncle chooses to hold his nephew, though Michael watches him in fascination versus Lucifer's outright suspicion. Although, Michael hasn't had the benefit of Amenadiel's many warnings about Charlie's random bodily fluid attacks.

Amenadiel and Raphael appear at the door, stating that Gabriel has located her father. The plan is for him to remain outside the room while Chloe visits with her father, then return Chloe and Charlie back to Earth once the visit is over. 

"I suppose that means it's time to face my Father," Lucifer grumbles. 

"We're with you, Luci," Amenadiel reassures him, and Lucifer shoots a sardonic look at Chloe. She remembers his observation before his return to Hell, about the people watching his back being the same ones that had been trying to force him back to Hell, and her lips twist into a wry smile. _People change._

"We'll give you a moment?" Michael suggests thoughtfully, and Lucifer nods gratefully.

Amenadiel claims his son, and everyone steps into the hall. Lucifer and Chloe gaze at each other for a brief moment, then they're in each other's arms. Chloe is determined not to cry. 

_He's coming home. He IS._

"I'll see you soon, yeah?" She whispers against his chest. 

He cradles her head in his hands, his fingers wound tightly in her hair. "You will see me, I swear it, Chloe."

"Okay," she breathes, trusting him, as always. "I love you, you know."

He gives that heartbreaking smile that she remembers from his balcony the night he left. The one that speaks volumes of how very deeply those words affect him. "And I love you, Chloe. Always, darling."

She tips up and presses her lips gently to his, and his fingers caress her face so carefully she can scarcely feel them, mapping every contour and imperfection, commiting it to perfect angelic memory. It's a chaste kiss, and this time she doesn't close her eyes, instead committing his face to memory, the feel of his nose bumping her face, his soft lips fitting perfectly with hers, his eyelashes delicately splayed on his cheek as they flutter closed, the feel of his stubble scratching pleasantly against her chin. Too soon, he pulls away and she grabs his hand, giving it a squeeze before he turns away. He opens the door, gives her a sad smile as Amenadiel hands over Charlie, and they're gone.

She stands alone, clutching Charlie in the room she has shared with Lucifer for nearly a year, and fervently hopes this doesn't become her new normal.

 _Please,_ she begs, because what else can she do now? _Let him come home to me. He deserves to be happy._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think the end is near!! I'm hoping this will wrap within a couple of chapters (Maybe 31 will be my lucky number! I really, truly appreciate all the kind words in the comments, though I am honestly surprised so many folks are still sticking with this story... Anyway, you are appreciated. If you want to talk Lucifer (or whatever), please find me on tumblr, I'm DoctorCastielScamander over there. Cheers, everyone, I'll have the next installment up as soon as it comes to me.


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> THE TALK! IT'S FINALLY HAPPENING, PEOPLE!

She’s pulled the duvet off the bed and spread it on the floor to use as a pad for her and Charlie to lay on. He’s such a cheerful baby, and he giggles happily until he abruptly drops off into a doze. She sits on the blanket, knees drawn to her chest as she watches the sleeping child.

There’s a gentle rap at the door and she rolls to her feet as it opens. Gabriel pokes his head inside, smiling kindly at her. “I’ll be just outside, Miss Decker. Visit as long as you like. When you’re ready, I will escort you home.”

“Thank you Gabriel,” she acknowledges, and then a familiar form is stepping through the door and she can hardly see, her eyes are so blurry with tears.

“Chloe?” John Decker’s grin lights his entire face, exactly as she remembers him. “Oh, Monkey, look how beautifully you’ve grown!”

“Daddy!” She crosses the room in a blink, and his arms are around her and she’s crying all the tears that she wouldn’t let herself shed in front of Lucifer, and more.

Officer Decker holds his baby girl against his chest and lets her cry. His eyes are leaking a bit, too, but he knows his Monkey has had a rough time of it. The dark-skinned angel had told him something of her journey a while back, and the blonde one had hinted at a more recent trial as well. He sighs over her head, and squeezes her tightly, offering what solace he can.

After an immeasurable moment, her sobs settle into slight tremors and her sniffles slowly subside. She gives him a squeeze, and pulls away, giving a watery laugh at herself.

“Sorry about that Dad, it’s… kind of been a day.”

“Yeah, the angel said something like that, sweetie. What on Earth are you doin’ here? He was very quick to assure me that you’re not dead.” John’s blue eyes are clear, but concerned.

“I’m, um.. visiting a, um, my, uh… partner.” All this time here together and they never once bothered to discuss what they are to one another. ‘Boyfriend’ just doesn’t cover it, not even close.

“ ‘Partner’, hm?” His mouth quirks in a teasing smile. “Do I need to give someone the “Come to Jesus” talk?”

Chloe splutters a laugh at her image of Lucifer reacting to “the talk” from her father. She’s about to frame a response when Charlie stirs from his nap. “Oh, let me grab him. Dad, come in, have a seat.” She crosses the room to the blanket and scoops up Charlie, bouncing him gently in her arms as he gurgles contentedly.

“Chloe, is he -?”

“Hm?” Chloe looks at her father quizzically, then down at the baby in her arms. “Oh! No, Dad, this is Charlie, he’s Amenadiel’s son with my friend Linda. You met Amenadiel before, he’s-“

“The Angel that told me how spectacularly you were holding up down there without me.” John’s smile is just as proud now as it was when she informed him about her leading role in the Film-That-Will-Not-Be-Named.

“Yes, that’s him. He was on babysitting duty when he got the call that my partner was going for his interview with God today, so Charlie came along for the ride.”

“Do I have any grandkids?” He tries not to inject too much hope into the question, and Chloe chuckles.

“I have a daughter named Beatrice, Trixie. She turned 11 a few months ago, well, Earth months anyway. She’s amazing Dad, so smart and growing up way too fast.”

“Tell me about it,” He commiserates, and she grins. “Are you married?”

“Divorced. Dan works with me at the precinct, we’ve stayed friends after the divorce, he’s really good with Trixie.”

“Tell me about your life,” he urges, “I want to hear _everything.”_

So Chloe fills him on her life after his death. She talks about her mother, going through the police academy and starting as a beat cop, then working her way up to Detective. She tells him about Palmetto and the problems with Dan. When she first mentions her partner again, John reminds her that he wasn’t just a standard beat cop himself.

“Does this… partner of yours have a name? What on Earth warrants an interview with God? Do I get to meet him?”

“Daddy…” Chloe trails off, wondering if she dares have this conversation. At least she doesn’t have to worry about her Dad believing her story- he’s _in_ Heaven, he already knows it’s all real. She takes a deep breath. “My partner is Lucifer Morningstar. We started working together about 4 Earth years ago.”

“Lucifer Morningstar?” He repeats incredulously. “Stage performer, hm?”

Chloe snorts a watery laugh. “That’s essentially what I said when I met him, but no. That’s his name, Dad, he’s, um… God’s son.” She lets that sink in for a minute.

“Your partner is God’s son. God’s son, Lucifer.” John’s eyes meet hers, desperately reflecting hope that he has catastrophically misunderstood something here, but Chloe nods encouragingly.

“Chloe… Are you really telling me that you’re… you’re _dating Satan_?”

“He’s really not as…” she trails off, lacking words, “as he’s made out to be, Dad, I promise.”

“Not as what, exactly?” He’s getting agitated now. “Did he trick you? Has he… Chloe, did you get in trouble with him? Make a deal? What, sweetie?”

“Dad!” Chloe’s Mom-voice is in full force now, and Charlie starts to whine. She bounces a bit, soothing him gently for a moment before she turns her attention back to her pacing father. “Lucifer is _not_ evil. He doesn’t deal in souls, he doesn’t… eat children or kill people. For the… Dad, he pranks Dan by giving out his phone number for a Chewbacca voice contest hotline and stealing his pudding cups.”

Her father is still looking at her with disbelieving eyes, and she sighs. _No wonder Lucifer put off telling me the truth for so long…_

“He’s funny. He boasts about the tiniest thing that he does correctly but _never_ talks about the kindnesses he performs unless you confront him with them. He’s a wonderful friend to Trixie –“

“You let your _daughter_ hang out with _Satan??_ ”

“Um, _your_ daughter does more than _hang out_ with Satan, so you might want to rethink your judgy comment there, Dad.” Chloe sucks in a deep breath as John recoils from her. She breathes in again, then out. Count of four, count of four. “I’m sorry, that was uncalled for. But Dad, you’ve got to put your prejudices aside. Humanity has got him all wrong, and honestly, Heaven does too. Just since we’ve been here, his brothers have started to realize exactly that. Amenadiel realized it a couple years ago and has been building a relationship with him on Earth. Gabriel, that brought you here today just apologized and started getting to know him again just in the past few months.” He sits back in his chair, stunned into silence at her outburst.

“Lucifer has died for me. Twice. He’s saved Trixie's life, also twice. He went back to Hell, which is worse than the worst prison, by the way, to keep Earth safe from demons, for hundreds of years. The only reason he came back was because a demon escaped and kidnapped me, and he came to save me. When he did that, he got stabbed and almost died _again_ , and we only just managed to save him!” Her breath catches in a sob and Charlie whimpers in empathy. She shushes him gently. “He is the _best_ partner I could ever hope to have. He always has my back when it counts… I just can’t ask him to do paperwork unless I want to re-do it all again later.” She smirks to herself, having learned that lesson the hard way. “He believes in me, and he encourages Trixie to follow her heart. He loves us, and we love him. _I_ love him, Daddy.” This last is said softly, and he can see that it’s true. It’s all true. The silence between them stretches.

“Okay Monkey, I believe you. He’s a lucky Devil, that’s all I can say.” He sighs heavily. “And I know you’ve got enough of me _and_ your mother in you to hold your own against _anyone_.”

Chloe’s mouth quirks in a smile. “You know, he was terrified of kids when I first met him, but Trixie took to him right away.”

“The Devil is scared of kids?” John’s eyebrows lift.

“Yep.” Chloe pops the “P’ like Lucifer often does, and smiles at her own inside joke. “He calls her “Urchin”, and “Spawn”, and “Offspring” and “Beatrice”, but never Trixie. He talks to her as though she’s an adult, and she adores him for it. He plays Monopoly on game night with us, and Trixie wipes the board with both of us. He lets her paint a sparkly unicorn on his cheek and latch onto his legs every time he comes in the door. He calls me Detective, even when we’re not working. He loves Cool Ranch Puffs and Dan’s pudding cups, and complains because I buy $6 bottles of merlot at the Circle K. He brings me a tall non-fat almond milk latte with sugar free caramel drizzle every day, even though they cost like seven bucks at the coffee shop. He knows that every crime scene breaks my heart, even though I work hard not to let it show, and he appreciates my middle name.” She smiles to herself, and he recognizes the expression. She really does love him.

“What’s wrong with Jane?” He scoffs.

“Nothing. It’s just impossibly boring.” She grins. He returns it, and the distance between them is warmer now.

She fills her father in on the past four years with Lucifer as her partner, including all the background information that Lucifer has provided for her in the meantime. At times she’s afraid that his eyes will roll right out of his head, but he doesn’t press the Satan issue again.

When she comes to the part where she really started believing Lucifer about his identity, she flushes with shame but tells him the truth. He’s her Dad, he’s always been able to tell when she’s lying. The look of pride shining on his face feels like it’s going to burn her.

“Dad, don’t look at me like that. I just finished telling you that I nearly killed the man I love because I was scared and listened to a terrible source.” She can’t meet his eyes.

“What you just told me is that not only is my Monkey brave enough to go after the _Devil himself_ , but she’s also strong enough to admit when she’s wrong and take real steps to correct her mistakes.” He reaches over and takes her hand, squeezing it gently. “I’ve never been so proud of anything or anyone in my life. Or afterlife, I suppose.” He grins and she groans at the Dad joke, but her fingers close around his.

She asks about his loop, and he tells her about the happy memories that fill it. He spends some time in the city, but mostly to check in and see if anyone he knows has dropped in since his last visit.

They alternate between discussing everything, discussing nothing, and entertaining the baby, and time passes like water in a river.

Finally, after what feels like a few days, Charlie gets fidgety and won’t settle.

“I don’t know if he needs to eat… I haven’t needed to since I’ve been here, but I’m human. He’s half-angel, and might still need food. I think I need to get him back to Linda, Dad.”

“Well, Monkey, you do what you need to do. Having this time with you has been nothing short of a miracle.”

“Oh, I am _really_ not going to miss the miracle references when I get back to Earth!” Chloe groans dramatically, as her father cackles.

“I’m glad we got this time together, Monkey. I’ll see you again, but not _too_ soon, you hear me? You tell that Devil to keep you safe, so you can keep your Monkey safe.”

“He does his best, Dad, but I… really don’t make it too easy for him.” He bites her bottom lip.

“That’s good. Keep him on his toes and out of trouble.” John winks at his daughter, and folds her into a tight hug. “I miss ya, Chloe, but you go home, and you live your life for as long as you possibly can, okay?”

“Okay, Dad. I love you.”

“Love you too, Monkey.”

Gabriel directs John back to the City, while Chloe straps Charlie into his chest harness. He returns and unfurls his glimmering gold-striped ivory wings. Chloe giggles a little when she compares this Gabriel to the Gabriel statue that was taken when the woman in Pacoima had claimed an angel had saved her from the gunman in her home.

_Nope, not even close. Sorry, Precious Moments._

Gabriel looks at her quizzically, but she shakes her head.

“Are you ready to return home, Miss Decker?”

She looks around the room wistfully. It feels so empty without Lucifer to fill it. “Yes, we’re ready, Gabriel, thank you. Please take us to Lucifer’s apartment, at Lux.”

“You don’t wish to go to your home?”

_“Lucifer_ is my home, Gabriel. If I can’t be with him, his penthouse is the next best thing.”

The archangel’s blue eyes soften with understanding, and he grasps her waist tightly. “Take a deep breath.”

She does, and suddenly, she’s standing alone on the balcony at the penthouse, clutching Charlie. Hoping yet again that this doesn’t become her new normal.

_Bring him home to me. And you’d better have a_ real _conversation with him. Your communication skills_ suck.

******************************

Michael walks close by his twin through the Silver City, flanked by Amenadiel on his left and Raphael on Lucifer’s right. As they walk through the city they gather confused looks from some of the angels passing by, especially when a couple of them hiss suspiciously at Lucifer and Raphael and Amenadiel flare their wings threateningly while Michael glares like black flame. Lucifer continues unperturbed, completely ignoring the audience except when a couple call his name- Charlotte approaches, with Delilah and the entourage stops to allow Lucifer to greet his friends and explain that he likely wouldn’t be available for visits soon, if at all.

“It’s likely back to the pit for me, darlings,” he quips, trying to hide his anxiety with flippancy. “No rest for the wicked and all.”

“Is there anything we can do?” Charlotte squeezes his hand and Delilah sniffles.

“You’ve done more than enough, my friends. I am truly grateful to both of you for helping me pass the time while I was here, and for being so kind to Chloe, as well.”

“Where _is_ Chloe?’ Charlotte glances around, “I didn’t think she would leave you?”

“Oh, believe me, she didn’t want to!” Lucifer chuckles, “She’s not able to attend my meeting with Dad, so he gave her a visit with her own Father, then Gabriel will take her home. She’ll be fine without me.”

Charlotte doesn’t look convinced of this, but doesn’t argue. Delilah throws her arms around his neck, and he pats her back comfortingly, mentally thanking Miss Lopez and the Urchin for acclimating him to hugs by repeated exposure.

“Keep taking care of yourself, darling, all right? You’ve done wonderfully, and I am _so proud of you.”_

“I’ll remember.” She releases him and backs away, nodding. Charlotte’s next, with a hug, and a maternal kiss on his forehead.

“You’ll help Dan?” She asks tentatively.

“Charlotte, I really don’t think I’m headed back to Earth, my dear. But I know Chloe will do what she can, and Amenadiel. If he winds up with me, well… at least I know how to tweak loops now, so maybe he can Ascend if he can’t turn himself around on Earth, eh?”

“I know, it’s up to him… But I have faith in you, Lucifer. Good luck.” She squeezes his hand again, and backs away into the crowd, watching as the quartet continues their journey.

Lucifer spies Frank among the crowd gathering the street, holding the hand of a little girl that looks just like him and gives them a jaunty wave. Frank places a hand over his heart and gives him a little bow and Lucifer nods his head in return. His heart is full with the support of his friends and brothers, and he only hesitates for a moment outside his Father’s workshop door. He turns to his siblings.

“I… I want to thank you… for coming with me today, brothers.” He ventures hesitantly. “It means a great deal to me that you are willing to speak on my behalf, but… I find I don’t wish to expose any of you to any censure on my account. Amenadiel, especially you- you have your spawn to think of…”

“Don’t be so dramatic, Luci,” Amenadiel rumbles. “This isn’t going to be like the rebellion. And no matter Father’s decree, I will be sure you aren’t alone this time.”

“And I,” the two archangels chime in simultaneously.

Lucifer swallows heavily and nods, then presses his palm against the workroom door and it pulls him in, leaving the other three gaping at the closed door.

*************************

“Good afternoon, Lucifer.” The voice emanates from the swirling light and darkness surrounding him. Lucifer recognizes his formulas for the Horsehead Nebula floating by him, and swats his hand through them, erasing them from the air.

“Is it?” Lucifer responds dryly, “How can you tell, Dad?”

“Well, it’s afternoon in Los Angeles at this point in time, as it were.” A form coalesces from the maelstrom before him, and stands before him. Well, as much as one can “stand” without a floor.

“Ah, good. The Detective will be home in time to pick up the Urchin from school if Daniel gets held up with a case.” He glances at his Father warily. Appearing as a stocky black man in his late sixties, silver hair and close-cropped beard for now, with uncanny silver eyes. His Father had chosen to change His appearance throughout time, but the silver eyes always stayed the same. He notices with a wry snort that despite the man being physically shorter than his own form, His “floor” is slightly higher than Lucifer’s, giving Him a height advantage. Lucifer wonders idly how many forms He has cycled through since he was cast out.

“Indeed she will,” God agrees amiably. “What do you think of my Miracle, Lucifer?”

“I think you already know the answer to that one, _Dad_ ,” Lucifer grits his teeth, “Since only a few months after meeting her I was offering up my servitude to keep her safe.”

“That was a strong indicator, yes.” God chuckles lightly. “It seems as though you two were… happy together.”

“For a very brief time we managed it, yes.” Lucifer sighs wearily. “Please Father, can we get to the point of this interview?”

“Can’t a Father just desire a chat with His son?” God inquires cautiously.

“Not when the Father is You, and the son is me,” Lucifer states baldly. “You literally dragged me to Heaven and held me for nearly a year to have this little chat, this is certainly not a whim, even for You.”

“I see you still hold to the truth.”

“The one thing I take after You for, Dad,” Lucifer retorts. “Something I know You don’t insist on with Your other children, though…”

“Lucifer, I did not ask Michael to –“

“Yes, I am aware.” Lucifer grates, “Michael told me. We have… mostly… reconciled.”

“I am most glad to hear that, My son.” God hums contentedly.

“Oh, I’m still Your son, am I?” Lucifer asks bitterly

“Of course you are,” God confirms, puzzled. “Simply because you choose not to be Samael, doesn’t make you any less My son.”

Lucifer pinches the bridge of nose as though he’s battling a monumental headache – a true feat in Heaven. “Father…” he exhales heavily, and continues. “I don’t know what You want. I have never known what You wanted, not since You gave me very specific instructions for setting the heavens alight with stars. I have accepted that my… request… for Free Will was handled poorly, and I am dealing with my punishment in a way that I hope You agree is adequate. I have been doing my best to do everything expected of me and still maintain relationships with the people closest to me. Please, Father, tell me what You wish to gain from this interview, and let me go.”

“Really?” God’s eyebrows lift in delighted surprise. “No yelling? At the very least, I was braced for a punch to the jaw.” He chuckles to himself, “Lucifer, you have grown so much, I really am quite proud of you.”

“You’re proud of me.” Lucifer deadpans. “You _can’t_ be serious.”

“Of course I’m serious,” his Father responds, stung. “You have matured remarkably since our last discussion, son. You’ve begun shouldering your responsibilities beautifully, you’re working on a healthy relationship with your Detective, and you’ve even figured out ways to help those poor souls tainted by guilt that doesn’t belong to them.”

“Ah, so you’ve _been_ aware of those, eh?” Lucifer hisses, “A few hints might have been nice for how to help them sooner, _Dad._ ”

“You got there in the end, that’s all that matters,” God replies, confused at his son’s anger.

“I _got there in the end?_ ” Lucifer bursts out, “Father, some of those souls have suffered needlessly for _millennia_ waiting for me to _get there_.”

“Yes, and now they’re on their way to releasing their guilt so they can come here for the rest of time, My son,” God grins cheerfully, “And that’s all down to you.”

“No, that’s down to Dr. Linda and Raphael!” Lucifer exclaims, dismayed. “I don’t have the slightest idea what I’m doing without them!”

“Then you finally found the right way to seek help.” God shrugs, unconcerned.

“Please,” Lucifer says again, rubbing the bridge of his nose once more, “Just… just tell me what you want.”

“I want you to be happy, Lucifer.”

“ _You_ want _me_ to be _happy_.” Lucifer parrots, thunderstruck.

“Is there an echo in here?” God teases.

“You _want_ me to _be_ happy.” Lucifer repeats again, and it sounds no less absurd to him.

“Oh, there _is_ an echo in here!”

“Father?”

“Yes, Lucifer?”

“I say this, not with anger, but because I feel that You need to know, and I also feel that You have no idea of its truth.”

“Speak freely, son.” God replies calmly.

“You really need to work on Your communication skills.”

“I’ve… heard those words recently, actually.”

“Have You?” Lucifer asks, incredulous. “From whom, may I ask?”

“From your Detective, in a prayer.”

Lucifer barks a laugh. He can easily believe that Chloe has been reading his Father the riot act in her head, especially after she found out about her being a Miracle.

“She really is something, Father.”

“She is indeed, and I have very little to do with that, she is her own woman, you know.” His voice is soft, reassuring.

“Yes, we had more or less figured that out. You truly haven’t been meddling, have You?”

“I truly have not. Aside from the soul bond, of course, but that was built in, and in itself is very malleable, you two make of it what you will. I glance in from time to time, especially when you’re yelling at me for something,” God grins at his unrepentant son, “But no, I’ve gone largely hands-off. I’ve run my trials on humanity, now I need to focus on rolling out the project with my children.”

“Yes, Michael told me about the Free Will 2.0. I suppose I got a bit of a head start there, hm?”

“You did indeed.” God’s silver eyes glow with pride. “Your spark of Will was fertile soil for Free Will to grow freely and quickly. I should have anticipated that, but you always surprise me.”

Lucifer rolls his eyes and his Father grins wider. “So if You merely want me to be happy, then why am I here?”

“I did want to clear the air a bit, and not only between us, son. I wanted to give your brothers the opportunity to speak with you and figure out the truth since they were dragging their wings a bit…” Lucifer scoffs. “It’s true, I’m afraid. Most of the time you were waiting in your chambers was for your brothers to gather their courage and just knock. I knew if you were back on Earth nothing would get done… Out of sight, out of mind, after all…" He hesitates a moment, then continues, "Now, nothing needs to change in regards to how you’re handling Hell.” He notices Lucifer heave a silent sigh, and his argent eyes soften. “Cain will likely try something eventually, but I know your brothers will be happy to help you now, and that lovely demon of yours.”

“Oh, you know about Mazikeen?” Lucifer crows delightedly.

“She’s an interesting one to watch, Lucifer – you’ll want to keep her on Earth whenever possible, she’s starting to cultivate a soul, and I’ve never seen that manifest in a demon before.”

“She’s- what? Mazikeen’s growing a soul?” Lucifer’s mouth opens and closes soundlessly, unable to splutter any more words past his lips.

“Yes, but don’t say anything yet, you’ll ruin the trial if she knows about it, it needs to be blind so she doesn’t try to rush it or sabotage it.”

“Right…” Lucifer’s brain is clearly still stuck on the ‘growing a soul’ bit, and he repeats it again. “Right.”

“So, you’re quite all right to stay on Earth with your human friends, keeping tabs on Hell with as much or as little help from whatever siblings are willing as you like. I think that was nearly everything… Oh! Yes, and about your Detective-“

“What about Chloe?” Lucifer asks hesitantly.

“You’re worried about her guilt about working with the priest, and where that will lead her, yes?”

“I am… We have plans to address it with my friend, my therapist.”

“That is good. Because as it stands, she is carrying too much guilt to head this direction if she dies.”

“Ah…” Lucifer closes his eyes, hunching his shoulders. “Father, I… I can’t have her in Hell. I.. I can’t. Is there anything I can do to…?”

“No, son, I’m sorry, this guilt is hers alone to carry. I do have a solution- and it can be as temporary, or as long-term as you and she wish it to be.”

“You- You _do?”_ Lucifer yelps. He swallows, then eagerly continues, “What kind of solution?”

“Your ring, the one that allowed her to visit Heaven?”

“Yes, Lilith’s ring.”

“That very one. It contains her immortality in the stone.”

“Yes, I know. I was there,” the devil comments wryly.

“As long as she wears it, she will not die. If she wishes to age, she will, but only if she wishes it. If at any point, she removes the ring, she will be able to die but death would not be caused by the ring’s removal. She would either live to a natural death, or be taken by accident or other injury.”

“So, it’s a… stay of execution, of sorts. If she manages to release the guilt she carries, she can remove the ring and when she dies she’ll come here where she belongs. Or-“

“Or she can choose to remain immortal, and on Earth with you.”

“I can’t imagine the Detective would want to live forever with me when all of her loved ones will hopefully be here…” Lucifer trails off morosely.

“She is praying for you even now, my son.” God offers gently. “And I suppose that ring would also benefit her by making it possible for her to visit Heaven, with the right transport.”

“Oh, of course! Amenadiel or Raphael could bring her to visit!” A wide smile starts to spread across his face, but his Father isn’t done yet.

“I meant you, Lucifer. The last bit of information I wished to impart is that your banishment from the Silver City is hereby lifted. You have served your sentence. You will continue your responsibilities, but your travel restrictions are no more. You can come and go freely, but… you may want to give your brothers some time to spread the word that you’re _not actually_ evil incarnate to the rest of the Host to save everyone some stress, hm?” God lifts his shaggy grey eyebrows and takes in his son’s gobsmacked expression, the corner of his lips lifting in a smirk that looks a bit too much like his son’s to be coincidental.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my goodness, my friends, this chapter could not WAIT to be written once it started!! One more for wrap-up, with any luck, we'll be off this ride by tomorrow! Again, thank you for reading, suggestions, comments, or whatever you choose to leave.


	31. Chapter 31

Chloe checks her phone on the bedside table. The display informs her that it’s 6:47 PM on Wednesday; she’s been gone about 12 hours. She has two missed calls and 14 texts waiting, with one voicemail. She checks the voicemail, it’s Ella, checking to see if she’s heard from Lucifer. Apparently, his sister filled her on Lucifer’s whereabouts. Two of the texts are from Linda, and she responds to those right away, letting her know that she’s got Charlie at the penthouse if she wants to come get him, or they can wait for Amenadiel. Linda confirms right away that she’s on her way over, and Chloe smiles to herself, knowing she would do the same thing. The other twelve texts are from Dan and Ella, checking in on her errand, and she responds in the group that she’s back and has her phone with her now. She sees the dots starting indicating a pending response, and pulls up her dialpad.

“Mommy!!” Trixie’s enthusiasm bleeds across the phone line and Chloe’s eyes fill with tears. She knows it hasn’t been any time at all for her daughter, but hearing her voice, absolutely unchanged and so _happy_ , itq settles that niggling little part of her heart that was telling her something had gone unbearably wrong while she was away.

“Hey, Monkey!” she blurts cheerfully. “Tell me _all about your day!”_

Trixie happily chatters on about school, the model volcano in science class, the yummy square pizza for lunch, playing tetherball with her friends at recess, and learning archery in PE. Chloe makes a mental note to ask Maze to please _not_ cover projectile weapons with her daughter. It won’t stop her from doing it, but it _might_ make her hesitate. Just a little.

Finally, Trixie runs out of things to say and says “How was _your_ day, Mom?” Chloe sighs silently to herself, reminded again how quickly Trixie is growing, that she won’t always squeal ‘Mommy!’ excitedly when she answers the phone.

“My day was… really, really long, sweetie.” Not even a lie. “But I spent it mostly with Lucifer, and it was a good one.”

“Is he with you now?” She asks excitedly. “Can I talk to him?”

“No, sweetie, he had to step out for a bit,” _At least, I hope it’s only a bit,_ she doesn’t say, and her stomach twists. “But hopefully you can talk to him tomorrow, okay?”

“Ookaaay,” Trixie sighs, disappointed. _Me too, kiddo. Me, too._ By now it’s past 7:30 and she knows Trixie needs to get showered so she can get to bed by 9.

“Okay, you little weasel,” she giggles, “Go get into the shower, and make sure you brush your teeth, alright?”

“Mooooooommmm, I knooooooow!” Trixie sighs dramatically, then giggles. Chloe’s smile widens, and she wipes the unshed tears from the corners of her eyes.

“Goodnight, Monkey. I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Mommy. Tell Lucifer I love him!”

“I will honey, but he knows.”

“He might know, but he needs to hear it more than most people.”

“He really does, sweetheart, you’re absolutely right.”

“Goodnight, Mommy!”

“Goodnight, Trix.”

She no sooner hangs up the phone when the elevator chimes, and she turns hopefully toward it to find Linda bustling off with diaper bag and baby pen in tow.

"Chloe!" Linda's eyes light up at the sight of her friend with the snoozing angel baby fastened to her chest. "How are you?? Oh my goodness, tell me _everything."_

Her phone chimes again, and it's Ella, asking for an update. When she doesn't respond right away, the phone rings and Chloe, grinning and rolling her eyes, answers the phone. 

_"¿Por qué no me respuestas, chica?"_

"Ella," Chloe laughs, "I wasn't ignoring you, I promise! Linda just got here to pick up Charlie and was also asking me for details."

"Ooookaaayyyy..." Her friend drawls, reminding her of Trixie. "What is going on?? Is Lucifer still in Heaven?"

"Yes, Lucifer is still in Heaven. He was having a meeting with his Dad when I left, but nobody really seemed to know if it was a meeting, or an interview, or... Or an interrogation..." Chloe swallows thickly before she can continue. "But Amenadiel was there with him, and the other three archangels have all come to apologize and make up with him within the past few months... Even Michael, so at least he has some support?"

The reassurance comes out sounding more like a question, and Linda and Ella are quick to chime in that yes, of course, Lucifer is totally fine...

Linda helps her shrug out of the baby harness once she has Charlie's playpen set up, and Ella insists she be placed on speaker so they can have a conversation. Maze is out on a bounty, so it's just the three women.

Ella has a minor geek-out when Chloe admits she's technically been in Heaven and alone in a room with Lucifer for nearly a year.

"Forget seven _minutes_ in Heaven woman, damn you went straight for ten _months_!!" She cackles, and Chloe and Linda both join in.

Charlie wakes and Linda feeds him, and by then it's nearly ten PM. Ella ends the call, saying she'll check in again in the morning if Chloe doesn't text with an arrival update overnight. By unspoken consent, the two women decide to hole up at the penthouse for the evening. Chloe throws together a couple sandwiches after realizing that she hasn't eaten technically in nearly a year. Linda makes one for herself, and they settle on the balcony again, looking up worriedly at the few dimly visible stars. 

"I'm so glad you're here, Linda," Chloe sighs , eventually. "I think I'd be a right mess if I were alone right now."

"Well, I know _I_ would be, so thanks for letting Charlie and me camp out for the night." The two friends share a wan smile between them, and stare at the unresponsive sky for a few more hours before succumbing to exhaustion. 

**********************

Lucifer nearly falls out the door of his Father's workshop, and is barely saved from falling by landing against Amenadiel.

"Luci!" His brother's rich voice is joyous, and he wraps his younger brother in a warm hug, sending a prayer to Gabriel and Raphael to let them know Lucifer had emerged. "Are you okay?" He asks quickly, noticing how pale Lucifer is.

"I'm... Good. I'm good. Can we go? Please, brother, I want to go home." Lucifer's breathing is ragged, and his eyelids are heavy. Amenadiel recognizes the signs: Lucifer has been in the Silver City for a year, it's true, but the presence of God himself likely resulted in a divinity overdose for his long-deprived brother. They won't get anything coherent from him until he's rested and recovered. He sends a second prayer to the other two with an update, and worriedly helps Lucifer home.

They arrive on the balcony and Lucifer slumps against him with a groan. Amenadiel slides open the glass door and supports his brother inside, letting him collapse onto the mattress, which squawks in surprise. The bedside table lamp flicks on and Chloe sits up, goggling at Amenadiel before she rouses enough to realize what weight had just been dropped on her. 

"Lucifer??" She breathes, and he moans an incoherent response. "Amenadiel, is he hurt? What happened, it's been ages!!"

"He'll be okay, I promise." At her disbelieving look, he clarifies, "I know, Chloe, I'm sorry. Time in Father's workshop is different from the rest of Heaven. A few minutes in there is months in Heaven. The door sealed all of us out but pulled Luci in. He wasn't coherent when he came out, except that he wanted to come home right away."

"What happened to him?" She fights back a sob. 

"Nothing, truly." Amenadiel soothes, "Luci hasn't been around concentrated divinity in eons. A direct, in-person interaction with Dad just gave him a bit of an overdose."

"Like... Like Maze?"

"Very like." He confirms. "He needs sleep, and he'll drink like a fish when he wakes up, then sleep some more. After that, we'll be able to get some answers"

Chloe slides from the bed and grabs a tumbler, a carafe of water, and after some deliberation, a decanter of whiskey, settling them on the bedside table in easy reach. 

"Linda and Charlie are asleep one of the guestrooms, we decided to keep company tonight." She admits abashedly.

"Thank you, Chloe." His smile is kind. "If you need me just call. I'll hear you even if I'm asleep." He pads off into the depths of the flat to find his mate and son.

She chuckles to herself at her mental choice of words for them. They may not admit their relationship yet, but Chloe has no doubts about the existence of one. 'Mates' fits them as well as 'partners' fits her and Lucifer.

She looks down at Lucifer and brushes her fingers against his pale cheek, taking in the shadows under his eyes and his uneven breathing. He doesn't look quite as bad as he did after his stabbing, though, and even unconscious, he leans into the touch, whining a little when she pulls away to settle in beside him. The moment she renews contact he settles, and when she wraps her arms around him he snuggles against her like a cat. _Complete with purr,_ she smirks to herself as a contented rumble starts in his chest.

His nose finds his favorite spot, tucked into the hollow of her shoulder, and she breathes a sigh of relief as the tension drains from his body. She feels a peace wash over her, and drifts into dreams of being home.

She wakes several times in the night, to make sure he's still there, and doing all right. He never stirs unless she pulls away, when he shifts closer again. At some point she feels the now nearly unfamiliar call of nature, and she nearly has to pry herself free in a desperate bid for relief. She returns to find him tightly clutching her pillow, but clearly not satisfied with it. She manages to wrangle it free with a fond smile, and slips back into his willing embrace.

The next time she wakes, he is groggily sitting up, nursing a tumbler of whiskey. The water carafe is untouched, of course. They gaze at each other blearily for a moment, before tentative smiles spread across both their faces. 

" 'm here to stay, m'love," he slurs through his exhaustion. "Hope that's not too dis'pointy fr you"

"Nope," she replies sleepily, pulling him back down next to her once he finishes his glass. " 'zactly what I wanna hear." They're asleep again before they even get settled, their bodies arranging themselves purely by muscle memory.

She wakes again, this time more completely. She looks down at the sleeping devil in her arms and his words from before drift back to her. 

_"I'm here to stay, my love."_

She feels a relieved flutter in her gut. The rest can wait, he's not going to need to leave her again. Not permanently, at least.

She hears movement in the main body of the apartment. Amenadiel or Linda must be awake. She turns over, fighting the sleepy muttering from her partner, who adjusts to a spooning position with his nose buried in her shoulder quite readily once she stops moving.

She catches a glimpse of the figure and softly calls out, "Amenadiel."

He appears in the doorway, but doesn't offer to enter. "Linda's feeding Charlie, then we're going to head home. We'll be back this evening to see how he's doing. We had planned to do the Hell excursion with Raphael today if Luci wasn't back, so we might still try that, and see if Raphael can really manipulate those loops. It will be good information to find out, either way."

She nods her response. "Thank you, Amenadiel, for helping him get home."

His smile is gentle. "Of course, Chloe. We'll see you later."

A moment later the elevator chimes and the apartment is silent once again. She shoots Ella a quick "they're back!" text, then rolls over again, wraps her arms around her devil and surrenders to sleep once more.

**********

He awakens slowly, nestled in his golden silk sheets, tangled up in Chloe with the heat of of the afternoon sun painting his shoulders, and he sighs in contentment. As he does, he realizes that his mouth and throat are uncomfortably dry. His head pounds, and he recognizes the described symptoms of a hangover, but of course he can't get those...

Oh... Damn. He'd spent a good amount of time yesterday with dear old Dad. He tries to swallow, and still comes up dry with a little clicking noise. _Yes, divinity hangover it is, lovely._ He carefully disentangles himself from the Detective, and rolls over, finding a very handy decanter of whiskey and a tumbler, along with a very hopeful carafe of water. He snorts in amusement, well, he knows it's from the Detective, now. No one else would even think to offer him water. He downs two entire glasses before he pours a third and sips it more slowly, allowing his mind to turn over the information his Father had given him. He makes a succinct mental list, readying himself for the inevitable questions that will come once his gently snoring Detective awakens. He gazes down at her and smiles, tucking a tendril of hair away from her lips. He turns back to his perusal of his meeting with his Father.

_Points to cover_

_1\. Current Hell plan holds_

_2\. Maze is growing a soul? (Can't tell her, maybe best not to tell anyone?)_

_3\. Ring as temporary fix for guilt, also potential for immortality? Her choice_

_4\. Banishment lifted_

He mentally looks over his list, nodding to himself. Yes, that appears to be everything. He can feel exhaustion dragging him down again and he finishes his whiskey before he sags back onto the mattress, managing to fold himself back into Chloe's embrace with a weary sigh before he sinks into the dark waters of unconsciousness.

************************

Waking is smoother this time, and the headache is bearable. His mouth still tastes like sandal leather, though, and he smacks his lips in distaste. The Detective is gone and he finds himself wrapped around her pillow. He can hear movement in the flat, it sounds as though she's making coffee, so she's either only just awoken, or she's been up long enough to be on her second batch. He rolls over into her side of the bed and smiles to himself. _Still warm, just awakened, then._

He drags himself into a sitting position and fumbles for the decanter of whiskey, swallowing the last of it directly from the bottle without pause. He gazes at it longingly, them glares at the sad little carafe of water. He doesn't have the energy to get up, but he's still _so thirsty..._

With a resigned sigh, he pours a tumbler of water and knocks it back like a shot, then a second, and a third. When the carafe is empty, he feels marginally better and simply rests his head against the dark wood of his headboard. Approaching footsteps cause him to open his eyes a crack, and he finds an enormous mug of steaming coffee floating in front of him. His hand flashes out to take it and he's drunk half of it before the Detective realizes she's no longer holding it. 

He swallows his prize and sighs happily. "Ahh, a single malt triple espresso! What have I done to deserve you, darling?"

She crawls back into bed and props herself up beside him, leaning into his shoulder. "I think the question is, what have I done to be saddled with you?"

"Are you suggesting that I'm your punishment for something you've perpetrated?" He asks lightly, his lips brushing against her hair before taking another long pull from the life-giving elixir in his mug. 

"Only in the best possible ways," she retorts, and he snickers.

"You two are nauseating. Is there coffee left?"

"In the kitchen, Maze," Neither of them even jump at the unexpected commentary. And the demon stalks out of the room.

"At least she didn't have any popcorn with her, hm?" Lucifer whispers into Chloe's ear, and she dissolves into helpless laughter against him. She looks up into his face with hers so full of joy, and he suddenly wants to taste it. He lowers his head to capture her lips, and the tiny sound that comes from the back of her throat tastes of freedom and fresh air. 

"Amenadiel and Linda will be here in an hour." The brusque voice of his demon drifts in from the sitting room. 

"Then I suppose I should shower," he pulls away reluctantly, leaving one more kiss on her lips before swinging his long legs over the side of the bed and finishing his coffee. He sets the mug on the bedside table, then stretches his entire body, arms above his head. He's still dressed in the clothing he was wearing when Michael took him, and he'll certainly be glad for a change.

Chloe watches him as he pads toward the bathroom in bare feet, and glances at the sitting room where Maze nurses her late afternoon coffee and pulls up Hell's Kitchen on a streaming service.

Lucifer's lathering his hair, reveling in the scent of his sorely missed products when he hears the bathroom door open. He smiles to himself, marvelling at the level of comfort they've reached together since their imprisonment. The Detective would never have entered without knocking before, and he loves that she's comfortable enough to do so now. He doesn't say anything, not wanting to embarrass her. He simply continues running his fingernails over his scalp as he steps under the rush of the spray, the sound of falling water heavy in his ears, so he's genuinely surprised when gentle hands join his in his hair. He turns to find her body pressed to his, her lips muffling the delighted exclamation of her name. He would need to be dead not to respond to that particular invitation, and he is most certainly alive, and eager to feel moreso. 

Her small hands trace paths of heat everywhere they touch, and he moans at the electric charge that jolts straight to his groin as she nibbles the skin along his collarbone. She clings to him hungrily, and he responds in kind, lips and eyes devouring anything he can reach as their bodies ignite, basking in the joy of freedom. Her hand grips him and his visceral moan has her core tightening in anticipation. She pulls his head down for a heated kiss. 

"I missed you," she breathes in his ear, and he rasps his reply into her hair as he lifts her with ease. She wraps her legs around his waist and then he's inside her and she's never felt more completely loved than now, with his uneven gasps in her ear, her lips on his face, her hands in his hair and the heat and scent of him surrounding her as he thrusts, bracing her against the wall so his hands can roam and caress and claim and squeeze. They're a whirling heavenly mass around the center of gravity where their bodies are joined, unable to tell where one begins and the other ends as they move together toward combustion. They ebb and flow, push and pull as she guides him where they both desperately want to be. Deep, throaty moans in harmony with soft whining exhalations and an ever coiling, tightening exquisite pressure until finally he brushes her so lightly with the pad of his thumb. She seizes around him and he stills at the utterly magnificent feeling of her. She voices a strangled sound and he's moving again, pumping hard as her muscles tremble and lock around him, chasing her pinnacle and joining it with his own. An explosion of light behind closed lids and they're both panting under the spray, quivering together as he continues to move shallowly inside her, extending the last ripples of their climax.

"What," he gasps into her neck, "was that?" 

"That," she breathes back, "was incredible."

“It was,” he chuckles, flexing into her one more time before withdrawing with a sigh from both of them, “Of course it was, darling, you just surprised me. In the _very best way_.”

He sets her down and they wash each other, lingering sweetly under the pulse of the water. Once they’re dried, Lucifer takes great joy in picking out his new suit, a cranberry shirt with charcoal waistcoat, jacket and trousers. He finds the pocket square that matches the shirt and folds and tucks it with practiced fingers, then pats his styled hair into place with a satisfied air before heading to the sitting room to join Maze and the Detective.

“You stink,” Maze wrinkles her nose, leaning away from him.

“Maze, we literally just got out of the shower!” Chloe chides.

“Oh, _I know_ ,” Maze’s smug sideways look makes Chloe flush, and Lucifer chuckles.

“I know what you mean, Maze,” he wrinkles his own nose in sympathy, “Unfortunately, it’ll take a bit for the direct exposure to Dad’s divinity overload to dissipate.”

“Yeah, I bet. Chloe smells, but you really reek. We’re gonna need to open the balcony doors or something.” She moves to do just that and Lucifer laughs again. “At least I get to go back to Hell today, maybe I can cover the smell with _that_.”

“Oh, that _is_ today, isn’t it?” He looks into the distance for a moment, tallying time in realms. “Yes, really shouldn’t put that off.”

“ _You_ can’t go down there smelling like that, Lucifer,” Maze cuts off Chloe’s protest with her own. “Are you insane? You’ll start a riot.”

“Surely it’s not that bad?” He offers uncertainly.

“Oh, it’s _bad_ ,” Maze assures him. “Add in that Amenadiel told me that yesterday you were basically comatose with divinity OD, and no _way_ are you going back down there today.”

“All right,” Lucifer snaps waspishly, “If _I’m_ not going, then how exactly are you intending to go?”

“Amenadiel said the plan was to see if Raphael can manipulate the loops.” Chloe chimes in. Maze shrugs, as though she doesn’t care one way or another as long as she gets to go.

“Ah.” He can’t come up with any arguments for that, so he leans back on the settee next to the Detective. “How long until they arrive? I’m assuming my brother would like to know about my interview with Father before you go?”

“He’s not the only one that wants to know,” Chloe reminds him, and he grins at her.

“Worry not, Detective. It was, overall, a fairly uneventful meeting if you don’t count the discussion.”

“Oh?” she prompts.

“Indeed,” Lucifer chuckles. “Dad declared Himself impressed that I didn’t even try to punch him in the face.”

“You didn’t?” Chloe’s lifted eyebrows indicate that Dad isn’t the only one that’s surprised. “Really?”

“Really, really.”

“Wow.”

“Well, _I’m_ not impressed.” Maze counters. “You let a great opportunity pass you by. When will you get that chance again?”

“With any luck at all, never.” Lucifer declares. “Dad says he’s largely hands-off and nose-out, with only occasional peek-ins, no manipulations or string-pulling.”

“So, no more Miracles then?” Chloe asks, and her voice is only a little bitter.

“Ah… yes. As to that, Detective, I did ask him just how much he had… tweaked there.”

“You did?” She asks, nervous.

“I did, and the answer is: none at all. Aside from your existence, refusal to submit to my charms and talents, and the soul bond, everything you are is merely, solely, gloriously _you_.” He grins at her. “Remember, Raphael told us that soul bonds can take nearly any shape, even antagonistic ones, so _you_ decided to love the devil all on your very own my dear.”

“I think you may have had _just_ a little do with that, Lucifer.” She returns his smile, her eyes warming.

“Ugh, stop.” Maze groans. “If you’re going to make me sick, the _least_ you could do is feed me so I have something to vomit.”

“She has a point,” Chloe giggles.

“About giving her regurgitation fuel?” Lucifer asks incredulously.

“No, about food.” Chloe groans. “Shall we cook, or do we want to order in? They’ll be here in about 15 minutes.”

The kitchen doesn’t have the supplies to feed six on the spur of the moment, so they order in. Chloe opts for Chinese and places the order, then makes another carafe of coffee in preparation for company.

Amenadiel, Linda, and Charlie arrive just on time, and Lucifer again watches with deep suspicion as Amenadiel sets up Charlie’s playpen in its now-accustomed spot. Chloe wonders if he’s considering setting up a decontamination shower over there, and chuckles to herself. Lucifer raises an eyebrow at her as though reading her thoughts, which only makes her laugh harder at his mock-scowl.

Just as everyone gets their coffee, dinner (or, in Chloe and Lucifer’s case, breakfast) arrives, and soon after it not one but _three_ archangels land on the balcony.

“I should have known this wouldn’t be so easy,” Lucifer mutters under his breath to Chloe, before raising his voice. “Hello brothers, welcome. Do come in, we were just about to begin the planning session.”

“Actually,” Amenadiel breaks in, “Can you tell us about your meeting with Father first, Luci? What did he tell you?”

“Ah yes, that.” Lucifer sighs. “Nothing truly life-changing for most of you, unless you choose to help me with my project, I suppose. Dad said my current plan for Hell is a good one, so He’s fine with me staying here and operating as I have been for the past week. I’ll never be free of Hell entirely, but if you lot choose to help me with the ruling and the Faultless, that’s entirely your choice… now that you know you have a choice, that is.” He smirks at this brothers, who clearly haven’t had time to wrap their minds around that not-so-little development. “He also lifted my banishment from Heaven, though He strongly recommended I give you three-“ he gestures to the archangels, “- some time to repair the whole ‘Lucifer is evil’ rumor that’s been going around since my Fall. So… no rush there, but if I could avoid being spit on by the time someone close to me dies and I visit them, I would be eternally grateful.” He sighs dramatically. “Unfortunately, the damage is already done with humanity, it’s made it to the internet ages ago, and we all know what’s on the internet _never_ dies.”

Michael shifts uncomfortably in his seat, and Lucifer grins at him. “Not to worry, brother, I’ve survived with it this long, I’ll just continue on as I have and deal with situations as they arise.”

“At least we know now that we were never meant to keep separate from humanity…” Michael offers tentatively.

“Oh?” Lucifer prompts, curiosity peaked. “He didn’t mention that to me.”

“Yes, He told me that was never His decree, that was Mom’s.”

“Haaa, that makes sense, actually.” Lucifer muses, grinning a little at Amenadiel’s consternation. That had been one of his biggest sticking points in his early years here.

“What else did Father tell you, Luci? You were in there for awhile.” Amenadiel prods.

“He did tell me a couple of other things, but they are deeply personal, and I’d rather not share, if that’s quite all right.” He draws himself up, straightening his cuffs. “I assure you they have no bearing on the current situation. I will tell you that He declared Himself impressed that I refrained from shouting myself hoarse and punching Him in the jaw.”

His brothers exchange scandalized looks and nod their agreement.

“Excellent. Now, can we go over your plan for today?” Lucifer presses, eager to move on to a new subject. “Maze informs me that I reek of concentrated divinity thanks my recent Dad exposure, and my current state of recovery rules me out of this party-“ this sentiment is vehemently supported by all present, and he sighs in frustration. “Fine. Fine! I’ll need to make an appearance in a few days, though, regardless. There will be Indeterminate loops that I will need to designate, if nothing else. And keeping an eye on Cain, of course. Now. Which of you is intending to visit Hell today?”

“I… I am not ready,” Gabriel pipes up hesitantly. “Hell frightens me, brother, I think I would be a liability.”

“That’s quite all right, Gabriel,” Raphael interjects gently. “This is strictly volunteer-only, no one thinks less of you for admitting you’re not ready.”

“And if you’re never ready, brother, I would never hold that against you,” Lucifer adds kindly. “It is not a place I would wish on innocents.” His eyes are not on his brother, however, but on Chloe.

“I will go,” Michael asserts. “I should have gone long ago, and I would like to help where I can.”

Lucifer nods, and Raphael, Amenadiel and Maze merely grin at him in anticipation. “Very well, four of you then. Stick together. Visit the Dark Palace first and check in with Cain to let him know you’re there at my behest, and that I will be along shortly. Raphael, check for any new loop analyses, and see if there are any you can actually read and adapt on the fly, _then_ head for the Faultless loops, all right? Try a simple one first, don’t disturb the ones with any divinity residue already manifesting, and if you can’t alter the loop, just come back, I’ll deal with it once my Dad hangover is resolved.” He gets solemn nods from all involved, and he claps his hands. “Oh, and try not to let Maze disembowel more than one or two of the lesser demons. It always requires too much paperwork.”

Gabriel and Michael’s identical shocked looks pull a snicker from Maze, and she winks at Lucifer. “No guarantees.”

Gabriel leaves first, offering to head back to the Silver City for damage control, trying to spread the word about ‘Lucifer is _not_ , in fact, evil’. “I am the Messenger, after all,” he admits shyly, “It’s what I do best! Oh! I can build it into the new arrivals orientation!” He bustles out the balcony muttering to himself, spreads his glimmering creamy wings and disappears. The other four travelers stand and prepare to depart.

“Be careful, all of you.” Lucifer warns again. “If I don’t see you in a few hours, I’ll come down myself, recovered or not.”

“We’ll be back in plenty of time, Luci, relax.” Amenadiel assures him, rolling his eyes as they move to the balcony. He scoops up Maze, and they’re gone in a flash of grey and russet feathers.

Lucifer turns to look at his remaining companions. “Well, and here we are. The Devil, two women, and an angel baby. We can have a regular hen party!”

Linda chuckles from her perch on the chair, but her gaze is concerned. “Are you feeling all right, Lucifer?”

“Doctor, I think I can honestly say I have rarely been better than I am right in this moment.” His voice rings with sincerity, and she blinks, leaning back. “I _did_ have another point from my meeting with Father that I wanted to discuss… but I’m not certain I should.”

“Oh? Why the uncertainty?” Linda probes gently.

“It involves a friend of ours, and potentially sensitive information. Father mentioned it, but asked me not to make them aware, as it may adversely effect the… development.” Lucifer chooses his words carefully, slowly feeling them out before saying them aloud. “This friend is quite sensitive, and could react strongly to this information, but the direction of the reaction is impossible to guess.”

“Hm,” Linda ponders for a moment. “I see the difficulty. I assume that if you told us, and this friend later found out we knew about said information and had withheld it, that the reaction would not be… reasonable?”

“Indeed,” Lucifer sighs in relief, knowing that Linda at least knows who he is speaking of, if not _what_ he is speaking of.

“And this way, if this friend found out that _you_ withheld information, sh- uh, _they_ \- would only be angry with you.”

“Yes, exactly.” Lucifer confirms. “So… if I may ask that if a friend approaches either of you with a seemingly odd question or request… please don’t just write it off as oddness?”

“I think we can promise that, Lucifer,” Chloe confirms, after sharing a glance with Linda.

“Thank you, ladies. And Linda, if you could… pass on the request to my brother?”

“Of course. Was there anything else you wanted to discuss?” Linda’s next question gets interrupted by a fussy angel baby, and she trundles off to the corner where the playpen resides.

“There were a couple more points, Detective, but they were only relevant to you, and wasn’t sure you would want to discuss them in front of anyone…” Lucifer says in an undertone.

“I appreciate the thought, Lucifer,” Chloe gives him a warm smile, and leans against his shoulder. “But you already share everything with Linda, and if I’m going to start seeing her, then I may as well get used to it too, right?”

“As you wish, Detective,” he agrees hesitantly. “You should know, that I did not _ask_ for this information, Father volunteered it.” He takes her hand in his, running his hands over the ring that still nestles on her finger.

“Oh, I should give this back to you, I’m sorry-“ Her hand moves to take hold of it, but he tightens his fingers around hers, effectively blocking her.

“Actually, _this_ is what I wanted to talk with you about.” Linda comes back to them at that moment, settling into her chair, and looking between the two of them.

“Should I make myself scarce?” She asks lightly.

“No, Linda, you’re fine. Lucifer already asked if I’d rather have this conversation in private, but since he already tells you everything, and apparently I’m going to start… well. We might as well get some practice in, yeah?” Chloe jokes awkwardly. Linda gives her a gentle smile and settles back to listen.

“Father gave me some information regarding you, Detective, because he knew it was something that I was particularly worried about.” He darts a look at her face before focusing back on her hand, on the ring. “Regarding the guilt that you carry.”

Chloe pulls in a breath, and starts to pull away, but he refuses to relinquish her hand. “Please hear me out before you react, Chloe, I promise this is not as dire as it seems. I’m merely… nervous at being the bearer of such news.”

“Oookay.” She releases the breath slowly, pulls in another. “Go on, then.”

“This is good news, I promise, no matter what you decide to do with it.” Lucifer squeezes her fingers, and continues as she relaxes. “Dad told me that at this point in time, the guilt you carry is too heavy to allow you entrance into Heaven-“

True to her word, she restrains her reaction other than to grip his hand until her knuckles whiten, and he rushes to continue.

“- but you have a failsafe! This ring, Lilith’s ring, contains her immortality within the stone. Dad told me that while you wear it, you _cannot die_. You can be injured, but death is off the table as long as you’re wearing it. He says that if you choose to age, you will, but otherwise not.”

“So… if I keep it on, I’m immortal?” she paraphrases.

“If you choose to be. Or, you can simply use it as insurance until our brilliant Doctor here helps you overcome your guilt so that you can gain entry to Heaven as you deserve!” He beams at her, but her returning smile is hesitant. Linda’s eyes are wide in her face, but she doesn’t interrupt.

“Okay. Run that by me one more time, more slowly.” Chloe takes another calming breath. “Please?”

“As you wish,” he replies quietly. “The ring is your insurance policy, as it were. I will not have you in Hell, Chloe, so if you wish to avoid true revolt on my part, I would ask that you wear it _at least_ until you have absolved the guilt that you carry for working- briefly!- with that prat of a priest. Beyond that, if you choose to continue wearing it, you would be… well, unkillable. You can choose to age, or not. Removing the ring at any point would not result in an immediate death, but you would be susceptible to death by either illness, accident, or due course of time.”

“So, if I keep it, I could- what, be with you? Forever?” She asks breathlessly.

“I assure you that would not be a condition of your keeping the ring, darling,” he is quick to assure her, and Linda successfully stifles a laugh. “You needn’t worry about being shackled to me if you keep the ring-“

“Lucifer, shut up,” she silences him with a soft kiss, and he subsides. “That’s not what I was worried about.”

“Oh.”

“What about Trixie? I mean, she would age, and die, and I would… I would never-“

“Oh. Oh, yes, I forgot about that bit- I _did_ ask about that!” And he sounds so proud of himself that both women giggle in response to his preening. “The ring would continue to act as a travel token into Heaven, so _if_ you chose immortality, you would be able to visit your loved ones whenever you chose, you would just need an angel to ferry you. I assure you that even if you choose to sever ties with me at any point I would always make it a priority to do so, and I could ask Amenadiel if he would be willing to do the same.”

“Lucifer.”

“We could work out a system of notification later, of course, and-“

“Lucifer!”

He stops babbling, and she gives him a fond look. “If you think I would choose immortality and _not_ choose to be with you… then you really are just as crazy as I thought you were when we first met.” His mouth opens, then closes. His throat bobs as he swallows, and he tries again with the same result. “I’m not saying that I would choose immortality right now- it’s a lot to think about, I mean- a lot! I mean… look what it did to Pierce!”

“To be fair, Cain was a sociopathic prick _before_ he was immortal…” Lucifer grumbles, “ _And_ he was alone for millennia. Believe me, that affects you like nothing else.”

“But,” Chloe plows on determinedly, “I will agree to wear the ring at the very least until I manage to overcome my guilt. As a starting point. All right?”

“Well said, Chloe,” Linda chimes in from across the table.

“Deal,” Lucifer crows jubilantly. “while I would treasure the idea of having you by my side for the rest of time, darling, I will be just as happy to be with you for as long as you will have me. The decision is yours alone.”

“Hm.” She looks down at her right hand, where she had placed the ring out of habit, since that was the hand Lucifer had always worn it on. Suddenly, she knows what she needs to do. “I think I should make it official, then.”

“What are you-?” He trails off as he watches her slide the ring off her finger, and he reaches for it, trying to press it back in place. “Chloe-“

She presses the ring into his hand, and offers her left hand to him. “It’s your ring, Lucifer. Where do you think I should wear it?” She lifts an eyebrow in a sardonic challenge, and he gazes down at the ring in his left hand, and her left hand in his right. A slow, ecstatic smile spreads across his face, lighting his entire countenance.

“Really, Detective? Are you sure?”

“I’ve loved you for a long time, Lucifer, I don’t see me stopping now… do you?”

“Detective-“ she presses forward, her lips gently overtaking his, and he slips the ring onto the fourth finger of her left hand, where it immediately adjusts, a thin band of warmth snug against her skin. Her right hand comes up to cup the back of his neck, and his left caresses her cheek tenderly as their lips linger together.

Linda sits in her chair, fiercely suppressing her squeal of joy to avoid interrupting the moment, but just then a rustle of wings on the balcony reaches them and Raphael bounds in, excitedly calling,

“Lucifer!! I can do it! I can tweak the loops!”

****************************

Time passes. Lucifer goes back to consulting with the LAPD when he’s not overseeing the governance of Hell. His team of backup on his state visits expands and shifts, slowly adding not only a hesitant Gabriel, but an eager Remiel, Barachiel, and Gadreel. This show of Angelic support helps keep Cain in line quite nicely, and the work goes smoothly.

Ascensions start to become nearly commonplace with the help of Raphael and Dr. Linda and her students, though of course the latter don’t know what good works their case studies are going to… so long as they get their passing grades. They are countless, though, and Lucifer always frets that he could be doing _more_ , even if he has no idea what “more” could include.

Chloe begins seeing Dr. Linda, and Linda is secretly unsurprised that therapy is difficult for her. She and Lucifer are alike in so many ways, bottling up emotions until they’re near exploding. It’s strange for the Doctor to realize how very _far_ Lucifer has come when he’s still a regular exasperation for her, but she can recognize it when she sees Chloe marking some of his earlier milestones during her own sessions. She progresses, and Lucifer doesn’t press about her guilt burden, and the ring remains in place.

Time passes.

Chloe and Trixie move into the penthouse with Lucifer, and Trixie is utterly _ecstatic_ when he gives her the entire floor under his as her own personal room. Chloe isn’t thrilled about Trixie living above a nightclub, but with the addition of a lock on the elevators she’s okay with it. She didn’t want to be responsible for Lucifer having to move away from his beloved view of the City of Angels, even though he offered to relocate to any of his properties, or even purchase one of her choosing.

Lucifer makes good on his promise to Charlotte, enlisting Chloe, Amenadiel, and Dr. Martin in the quest to help Dan avoid Hell. Dan _also_ starts seeing Linda, though since most of his issues are non-celestial related, she feels comfortable enough to refer him elsewhere, and assures him he can call on her if has a celestial situation he needs to address. He progresses, and Lucifer starts to relax as both he and Maze notice the lessening of his guilt as time marches on.

Time passes.

Trixie grows into a beautiful young woman. She briefly toys with the idea of becoming a cop like her parents, but being the clever young person she is, she knows how anxious they are about her making that decision. She decides to try her skills at law, and (thanks to Lucifer) enjoys a top notch legal education, landing a coveted position just out of school. She is fierce in the courtroom, and her parents (and Step-Devil, as she lovingly calls him) are so proud they can hardly bear it. Jokes start to be made about how Chloe could be confused for Trixie’s older sister, but not too many because Lucifer doesn’t look like he’s aged a bit either. More jokes are made about the rejuvenating effects of a healthy and varied sex life, and everyone laughs, and laughs.

Dan is the first to succumb to Azrael’s call, many years later. Kidney failure.

“It figures,” he grumbles from his hospital bed, “That damn Pudding Plus had to catch up to me sooner or later.”

“Not to worry, Daniel,” Lucifer assures him, though his eyes are shining with unshed tears. “We’ll get you sorted out one way or another, all right?”

“I know, buddy,” he rasps, drowning in the toxins the dialysis machines can’t completely wipe from his body. “It’s not your fault if I do wind up… there.”

While Chloe and Trixie are weeping at his bedside with the continuously beeping monitor, Lucifer pops down to Hell and finds that Daniel has not arrived. He arrives back the same instant he departed with a wide grin that he abruptly schools into an unfeigned mask of grief, but Chloe peers up through her tears and sees the glint in his eyes, and he sees some of the weight fall from her shoulders. A quick prayer to Gabriel confirms that Daniel has indeed arrived for orientation, and is looking forward to seeing his Charlotte.

Time passes, and so does Linda. Lucifer is particularly affected by her loss. Linda had been carefully grooming a replacement therapist for Lucifer for the past five years, introducing them to _all_ his facets and complexities, and while he has adjusted remarkably, well, he’s just not Linda. Lucifer reminds himself to pop up to Heaven soon and see if she’d be willing to continue seeing him from there.

Charlie seems to have stopped aging since he reached maturity, though he never did manifest wings, much to Amenadiel’s disappointment, and Linda’s relief. He and his father visit Linda frequently in the Silver City, where she has renewed her friendships with Charlotte and Dan.

Time passes. Lucifer’s relationships with his brothers each take on their own depths and complexities, and having those connections again fills him with a warmth he had long forgotten.

Ella passes next, victim of a drive-by shooting, and Azrael cries as she delivers her to the Silver City, where Lucifer is waiting to deliver a warm hug. Ella remarks on the rarity of receiving a Lucifer-initiated hug, and he smilingly advises her not to get too used to it, but he doesn’t mind it as a treat for her, just now and then.

Trixie decides that she wants to try relocating, and after some discussion with her mother and Step-Devil, she settles on San Diego. They decide to move with her, along with Maze, and Chloe gets her first fake ID. The ring remains in place.

Trixie takes to San Diego like a fish to water, and she enjoys her legal career. Chloe continues working as a cop, with Lucifer riding along as a consultant, but she takes more time for herself now. Trixie convinces her to take vacations, and Lucifer joyfully contributes to delinquency any chance he gets.

Amenadiel and Charlie join them in San Diego after a few years, and regular visits to Heaven are a thing. New humans come into their circle, making significant contributions to their lives.

Time passes. They are happy. And the ring remains in place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's over, it's done! You guys have been absolutely amazing sticking with me throughout this beast of a... of a freakin' BOOK! Those of you that have left comments, I greatly, greatly appreciate them, even if I couldn't come up with a response for all of them. I would like to say I'm done with writing, but a new idea has snuck in and curled up by my hearth and is just waiting for lap space to open up, I think. The good news is, the Sky May Fall series SHOULD be done now. The next story is apparently going to be an alternate path for S4E2, but I'm not saying anything else about that yet. Again... thanks so much for reading this monstrosity, and please feel free to come yell at me on Tumblr, DoctorCastielScamander. Ta!


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